Warrior's Connection
by SpyralHax
Summary: Sequel to 'Nighttime Sparring'. Suki and Zuko continue to spend more time together sparring. But will a solid friendship become something more? Suki x Zuko
1. Chapter 1

**Warrior's Connections: Chapter 1 - Youthful Innocence**

**Rating: K for now**

**Pairing: Zuko x Suki**

**Ah, here is the first chapter of the sequel to 'Nighttime Sparring', featuring the Zuko x Suki pairing that has been taking over my mind recently. I was originally going to write the next chapter for my Jinko story today, but I flipped a coin, and this won. So, here is chapter one. Basically just picks up a few days after the first story, and will probably not be a very long story. Similar length to my Toko story, in all likelihood, but who knows. Hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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"Ugh, I just can't beat you. What the hell?" Suki muttered in frustration, he chest heaving heavily as she collapsed back onto the sand around Ember Island. The sound of her harsh breathing and quickly pumping blood echoed loudly in her ears, even as she felt a contented smile cross her ruby lips.

"Hey, you're doing better each time. One of these days you'll manage to win," Zuko said in an equally forced tone of voice, his body collapsing parallel to that of the young woman, his body pointing the opposite direction.

"There's no need to patronize me, you know? It seems like you're getting better just as fast as I am, so it's not like I'm getting any closer," she said, blue green eyes fogged just a bit between exhaustion and frustration.

"No, I can tell," he said, turning his head towards her, catching her bluish green spheres with his own pools of deep gold, "that you're getting better. But, it feels kind of like you're forcing yourself to fight with a handicap," he said seriously, a friendly smile crossing his lips as he thought of a better way to put it.

"What do you mean?" she asked, propping her head up with her right arm as she watched him slip into deep thought, something she had come to realize he did quite often, especially when left to his own devices.

"Hmm, maybe it's nothing, but it feels like your attacks are all just a little shorter than you're intending them to be. Kind of like they were designed to be used with some kind of weapon," he said, his lips curling in frustration as he fumbled for the right words.

"Well, on Kyoshi Island, we are taught to fight using fans," she explained, Zuko's eyes widening in realization as he smacked himself on the forehead, his act eliciting a small giggle from the girl.

"That explains it. I knew I had seen you using weapons somewhere before, but I just couldn't remember where," he said, smiling embarrassedly as the realization washed over him. "So, why don't you ever practice with a weapon?" he asked directly, realizing that she had not so much as looked for one during their time on the island.

"Well…" she began, taking in a deep breath as she set her own mind to thinking, hoping her reasoning was not too silly.

"Come on, it's not fair if we're sparring and you're not going at it with all you've got. I hope you're not taking it easy on me," he said somewhat jokingly, propping his body up on his elbows, the pointed joints digging into the soft sand beneath him.

"No, it's nothing like that," she said weakly, pulling herself into a sitting position, the two's backs facing one another as Suki watched the subtle movements of the tides on the ocean's dark surface.

"Sokka?" Zuko asked, watching the soft, almost imperceptible glow of the torch lights of the small beach house that the group had begun to occupy. Observing the girl from the corner of his eye, he caught a soft nod of the head before the girl let her focus drift to the soft white glow in the center of the sky.

"It's just, I get this feeling that somehow he would be upset if someone else in the group were to use weapons. Like it would somehow ruin his uniqueness, especially if I were to use a sword," she explained, a dry, mirthless chuckle escaping her lips as she brushed a few strands of auburn hair from her face.

"I use swords," Zuko said simply, running his fingers through the sand near his right thigh, making small furrows in the moistened earth. He heard the subtle crunch of sand as the girl turned towards him, his eyes turning to the side as he took in the sight of her.

"What?" she asked, blue-green eyes flashing with curiosity and almost anger at being kept in the dark. Dropping onto his back once again, the scarred teen placed his hands behind his head, propping it up slightly as the moon's light flowed over him.

"Well, dao swords to be exact. It's not like I'm a master with them or anything like that. I prefer to use my fire bending," he paused for a moment, flicking a few small embers from his fingertips for illustration. "But, sometimes it's not worth all the hassle, so swords are the onl real option," he said, bringing his fingers together before mock slashing the air, the quick, crisp motion leaving the soft ripping sound echoing in his ears behind the roar of the tide.

"Dao swords…" Suki mumbled, her voice sounding as though there were a memory to associate with the information, something that she was just unable to place into words or thoughts.

"Like I said, it's nothing major," he said, hoping that she wasn't putting two and two together in her mind. One of the group knew his secret identity, and he wanted to keep it that way as long as he was able.

"Does Sokka know about it?" she asked, pulling her legs beneath her as she sat cross legged in the sand, soft locks of rusty red falling over her face as she watched the Prince of the enemy nation, who had become close to her over the past few days.

"I doubt it. It's not like I go around flaunting them like he does with that black sword of his," Zuko said, rolling his eyes as he recalled all the times Sokka polished or sharpened the blade, the black sheen always reflecting in his blue eyes.

"Well, it is the only one like it in the world, and everyone likes to show off things that are unique to themselves," Suki explained, feeling a smile tug at her lips with the thought of the youthful enthusiasm that Sokka displayed when it came to his new sword.

"Maybe, but I'd be careful if I were you. I think he's liable to be enchanted by the sword, and get obsessed with it. And if he keeps sharpening it, it's going to wear down before we even get to the final battle," Zuko said sarcastically, causing the pair to share a laugh, Suki nudging the older boy on the shoulder.

"Hey, that's not even funny," she said, her girlish giggle telling him otherwise without so many words. "I'm far more beautiful than a dumb old sword," she added, not wanting to sound arrogant, but not wanting to even entertain the idea that Sokka might pay more attention to a weapon than to his girlfriend.

"Yeah you are…" Zuko said softly, his eyes darting open as he caught what he had said, Suki's eyes likewise shooting open as his words ran across her ears. The pair felt an awkward sort of silence pass over them with his statement, a silence filled only with the unbreakable sound of the ocean's tides.

"Umm, t-thanks, I guess," Suki said hesitantly, her eyes turning away from the young man now lying perpendicular to her, his head resting near her right knee.

"Ugh, just forget I said anything," he said, grumbling in the way that seemingly only Zuko could manage as he distractedly ran his fingers through his hair. Another awkward silence passed over the two, a soft ocean breeze blowing soothingly over their aching bodies as the sweat dried on their skin.

"So, since you won today, what is it you would like to know?" Suki asked, changing the topic as she set her gaze on the distant horizon, watching the moon's reflection ripple on the dark surface. Zuko sighed heavily in relief that she wasn't going to make a big deal out of what he had said. He drew his lips together as he lay in thought for a moment. On the few occasions they had sparred in the last week, he had won each time, and each time had extracted some sort of information from the girl.

Usually he chose to keep it simple, asking her things about her parents, or what it was like growing up on such a peaceful island, so isolated from the war. But now he had no questions to ask in that vein, and he did not want to pry too deeply into the girl's heart for information that she might not be willing to part with.

"I don't know. I can't really think of anything," he said seriously, giving the girl an almost apologetic look for not being able to come up with anything on the spot.

"Well, then how about a sort of dare," she suggested, not noticing as her slender fingers began to casually run through his fine black hair. The strands flowed easily through her fingers, the silky smooth feel of them contrasting with the image of the look of the Prince that he exuded.

Zuko also did not notice the gesture, but instead let his mind wander again internally, thinking of something he could request of the girl, something simple but interesting at the same time. His eyes sparked to life as an idea struck him.

"I know," he said, pulling himself into a sitting position in front of the young woman, his lips pulled into a near smirk as her warm hand brushed against the wet sand. "Next time we spar, it'll be with weapons. Whatever weapon you'd like to use, and I'll practice with my dao blades. It's been a while since I really used them," he said, the girl's silence giving him a moment's pause at thinking she may not have heard, or was going to simply refuse.

"Suki?" he asked gently, snapping his fingers in front of the girl's unresponsive eyes, wondering what was going on in her head. The girl blinked a few times in surprise, before leaning away from him a bit.

"Oh, I'm sorry I guess I got distracted," she said, giggling nervously as his brow quirked upward in confusion. "What did you say?" she asked, embarrassed at having not heard what he had said.

"I was just suggesting that it might be fun to spar with our weapons. You any good with a sword?" he asked directly, stretching his arms out over his head as he stood, letting his feet sink lightly into the wet sand.

"I'm alright," she admitted, taking his right hand as he offered it to her. She smiled a bit at the courtly behavior he exhibited, finding it almost hard to believe that only a few minutes earlier they had been nearly killing one another, fighting to almost their last breath. It was a strange feeling, one that Sokka would likely never be able to give her.

A sense of excitement mixed with a feeling of safety. Knowing that her opponent would never take it easy on her, yet not let her get hurt at the same time. Not pulling any punches, or apologizing when he knocked her down. Throwing her off guard with his words as they fought, only to offer encouragement after he won. Never rubbing it in her face, but giving her hope for the next time.

As she clasped his hand, she became acutely aware of just how warm his skin was against hers, even in the cool night air. She could almost feel the fire flowing in his body, how calming and soothing it felt. Suddenly the warmth she felt in her fingers traveled to her cheeks, the rounded flesh burning with an unseen fire.

Mentally shaking herself, she watched as Zuko shook his head in some confusion before turning towards the beach house. Almost as though showing off, she watched as he pulled his damp tunic from his body, revealing the toned muscles that came with years of dedicated training in various disciplines.

She had to caution herself to stop from staring as his still dampened skin caught the rays of moonlight, giving him an almost otherworldly appearance. Almost like some warrior spirit, descended to earth to stop…

"The Blue Spirit!?" Suki yelled, pointing directly at the young man, clasping her other hand over her mouth as she watched his body tense up at the admonishment. She watched as he quickly made his way back towards her, a look of irritation and almost embarrassment over the two words.

"What?" he whispered in as low a voice as he could manage and be heard over the rolling of the tides. Suki had to fight to keep herself from laughing, a million questions running through her head as she imagined the young man with a laughing blue mask adorning his face.

"Oh, it's nothing, it's just… the Blue Spirit?" she asked, the sheer mocking in her tone making the Prince's face darken several shades of red, channeling the now forgotten anger and rage he had become accustomed to for so long. Slowly the anger faded, realizing how strange it must sound to anyone looking at the situation from the outside.

"Yeah, yeah, hilarious. Look, it was a long time ago, during a… rough part of my life," he said simply, his tightened fists loosening as they hung down at his waist. Suki's giggling died down at the somber tone to his voice, and she regretted laughing, but only a little bit if she was honest with herself.

"Hey, I didn't mean to laugh," she lied, holding back the giggle that threatened to escape the ruby lips. "It's just so… surprising," she admitted, her chest pushing out as she stretched her arms over her head, giving a most unladylike groan at the small release of tension.

"Like I said, it was a different time of my life," Zuko said, turning away from the girl to avoid staring at the two mounds of flesh straining against the tight shirt she had wrapped around her chest. Memories of his days as the "renowned" bandit flashed through his mind, each event a memory he wished he could erase forever. But it was a part of him, as much as he might want to deny it, for the rest of his life. He just hoped Suki wouldn't blab it to everyone else.

"So, want to talk about it?" she asked, wanting to know how someone like Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation would fall so far that they would become a common bandit. He stared straight ahead of him, and she could almost hear the thoughts running through his head. Slowly he turned towards her, a distinct tone of mirth echoing in his golden eyes.

"Hmm. Maybe some day. If you can ever beat me," he offered in almost childish challenge, smirking defiantly at the younger girl before running off towards the beach house. Suki blinked in surprise for a moment, wondering if she had heard him correctly. Realization dawning on her, she set off running after him, a single moment of youthful innocence shared between the two as they headed back to camp, their exhaustion from sparring long forgotten.

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**This was the weirdest ending I ever wrote. I intended to write a lot more, make it about as long as the original story, but as I read the last paragraph, I thought to myself 'well, that's just about the perfect way to end this chapter' and I couldn't think of any way to write more without adding like 4000 words to it, so I will just save that for chapter 2. Things are definitely clicking between the two, and I wonder how long it will take them to realize that they're really connecting. Only time will tell. Thoughts on how I portrayed the characters is always appreciated. Until next time, good readers.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 02: Consequences**

**Rating: K**

**Chapter 2, woo. I keep meaning to write other stuff, but this pairing is just holding onto my mind. This one picks up right where chapter 1 left off, and it's just a fun little chapter. The two have fun sparring, running a little game of tag around the Royal beach house. Thoughts on how in character they are are welcome, since I am a bit more nervous about that here than in the previous one. Hope you all enjoy it.

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"Hey, get back here and fight like a man!" Suki's voice echoed loudly through the small courtyard, drawing the attention of the rest of the Avatar's company. Sokka lifted his head from the small nap he had been taking, moving Momo's floppy ears from atop his piercing blue eyes.

Katara turned her head from the large pot of stew she had been in charge of, a look of confusion on her face. Aang held a mixed look of relief and confusion, glad to get a small break from his earth bending lessons with Toph, while still wondering what Suki was yelling about.

Toph, for her part, simply smiled, "watching" as the two missing teens made their way towards the beach house, their footsteps sounding much more heavily than usual, indicators that they were running at almost full speed.

"It's not my fault if you can't catch me," Zuko joked, his head turning slightly towards the auburn haired girl a short distance behind him. The rest of the kids in the group began to gather together, watching as the Prince of the Fire Nation ran like a maniac into the courtyard, a look of almost… fun on his face.

"Zuko? What the heck is going on?" Katara asked, watching his golden eyes shoot open as he nearly plowed straight into her. Reacting in almost a lightning quick instant, Zuko placed his hands on the girl's shoulders, the force nearly sending her to her knees as he vaulted over her, his body somersaulting through the air before landing carefully on the second step of the staircase a short distance behind her.

Whistles of approval sounded from Sokka and Aang as the young fire bender turned once more towards his pursuer, his smirk widening at the look of disbelief on the face of the ruby lipped girl. The two locked eyes for a moment, Zuko's glowing in not entirely innocent challenge, his face telling the girl that she could never match him. But hers were that of a fierce warrior, intent on proving him wrong.

The rest of the group looked from Suki to Zuko and back, wondering what was going on between the two. Just as Zuko took off into the depths of the house, Suki mirrored his action, leaping gracefully over the slender form of her boyfriend, a soft pattering of feet sounding in the clearing as the two teens disappeared into the house.

"What do you suppose that was all about?" Sokka asked, his right brow quirked up as he looked mindlessly towards the small but comfortable house. An occasional bump could be heard even in the small courtyard, the distinctive sounds of breaking pottery or furniture sounding heavily on their ears.

"I don't know. But maybe Zuko did something to piss her off?" Katara suggested, her eyes blinking as she realized that there was something nestled atop her head. Pulling off the piece of clothing, her eyes flared up with her unique brand of anger, tossing the still slightly damp piece of cloth onto the carved stone of the floor beneath her.

"That's not hard to imagine. He's a pretty spiky character," Sokka said jokingly, secretly hoping that he got to see Suki kick Zuko's princely butt. Not that he had anything against the guy anymore, but he certainly didn't mind seeing someone other than himself land squarely on his butt.

"I don't know. It looked like they were having fun," Aang said, drawing confused stares from the Water Tribe siblings. The dark skinned teens looked from the innocent air bender to one another, both sets of brows quirking upward as the thought rattled around in their heads.

"Well, they have been spending a bit more time together," Katara admitted, her mind flashing to the previous few days. The subtle conversations the two seemed to be sharing more frequently, how much more relaxed they seemed with one another. "But I'm sure there's a reason for it," she added, her eyes resting on her brother.

"You better be careful Sokka, or he might just steal your girl," Toph said, not entirely jokingly. More than the others, she had _felt_ the difference in how the two acted around one another compared to Suki's initial joining of the group. The blind earth bender could feel the more calm, steady rhythm of their heartbeats when they were together, like two people who had a unique sort of understanding on something.

"What, Zuko? And Suki? That's just… silly," Sokka said, waving his hand dismissively at the notion that his girlfriend would be interested in the moody Prince.

"Yeah, that would be a bit strange," Katara said, chuckling a bit at the thought.

"Not just a bit. Really strange. He'd probably have to like brainwash her or something," Sokka reasoned, his imagination running away with him as it had a tendency of doing from time to time. It was at that moment that his penchant for delusions haunted him once again, imagining a sinister looking Zuko holding his girlfriend hostage, an evil smirk on his face as he hypnotized the girl.

"Sokka, don't let your imagination lead you too far off course," Toph said, punching the older boy in the arm as she felt his heartbeat begin to grow erratic. The tanned boy rubbed the now suddenly sore spot on his arm, trying to shake the disturbing images from his mind.

A dull thudding sound echoed in the small clearing, drawing their attention to the roof above them. They watched as Zuko slid against the heavy tile of the structure, before leaping off the edge onto the ground below. Taking another few steps, he stopped at the end of the court nearest the beach, watching as Suki landed a short distance away.

The others in Team Avatar stood off to the side, watching as the two stared directly at one another, almost like two predators fighting over the same prize. Chests heaved from the heavy exertion, the large amounts of running adding itself to the heavy effort from their earlier sparring match on the beach.

"Looks like… you've just about… had enough. How about we… call it a night?" Zuko suggested, his words coming through ragged breaths. Suki narrowed her eyes in concentration, the bluish green flashing with one last burst of energy.

"You can feel free to admit your loss, Zuko, and then you can go off to rest," she teased back, smirking as she could almost feel him take the bait. She knew, despite he confidence, that in all their spars, he had held back a great deal, by not using his bending. The girl wondered for a moment if she would be nearly as confident if he were willing to use his flames against her.

Looking around him, Zuko only then noticed the presence of the others in the group, keenly aware of each set of eyes seemingly boring into him. He groaned to himself inwardly, scolding himself for getting so caught up in the moment. But, he had to admit that he was having fun, pushing himself to the limits of his endurance.

As the two warriors stared at one another, the rest of the group decided it might be better to take a step back, resting on the topmost step of the small staircase leading up to the opened corridor joining either end of the home. They watched as the two's breathing settled a bit, both pushing their bodies into their respective fighting stances.

"Come on, Suki, kick his butt!" Sokka shouted, his enthusiasm getting the better of him, the excitement of a fight where he wouldn't have to get hurt increasing his enthusiasm. Katara, Aang and Toph each just sat in place, absorbed in the tension of the moment between the two.

Zuko was the first to break the silent tension, his feet sliding across the pale stone, his right fist heading straight towards the girl's stomach. The scarred teen felt his limbs barely move to his wishes, the exhaustion seemingly increasing by the moment. He could tell that she was in a similar position, though neither would admit it openly.

The girl deflected his blow with her left arm, her right stretching out towards the mass of scarred flesh on the left side of his face. Turning away from her punch, Zuko ducked level with her waist, sending his left leg out as he spun on his heels. Suki smirked a bit as he went for one of his favorite moves, leaping the short distance she needed to move to escape the heavy leg sweep.

But her blue green eyes widened as he pushed up with his arms, his feet joining together as they launched towards her stomach. Making use of her well built flexibility, she leaned back in mid-air, barely avoiding the kick. Falling towards the ground, the Kyoshi Warrior pushed her hands out in front of her, attempting to cushion the fall.

Before she could land on the ground, she felt a strong hand grip her leg, flipping her harshly onto her back. No sooner had her back come into contact with the hard stone than she saw a tightened fist resting just above her crystal clear vision. Zuko smirked in triumph as he extended his finger, lightly tapping her between the eyes.

"And that's my win," he said, chuckling a bit at the frustrated expression on her face. But she got over it, her lips pulling into an accepting smile as she took the hand he offered her, letting him help her to her feet.

"Ugh, I really don't think I'll ever be able to beat you," she said, looking past his shoulder to the rest of the group intently watching the spectacle. The whole group minus Sokka, anyway, as he rushed forward, nearly shoving Zuko to the ground as he embraced the young woman.

"Oh my god, Suki, that was so dangerous. Are you alright? Did you get a concussion?" he asked, his voice showing all his concern for the girl even as he turned his accusatory glare towards the fire bender, giving him a silent warning that he should be more careful with the young girl.

Zuko simply rolled his eyes at Suki's having to deal with the overprotective teen, giving her a subtle bow before waving as he disappeared back into the house, muttering that he needed to take a bath. The auburn haired girl squirmed out of the Water Tribe warrior's grip, cautioning him that she was fine, and that nothing bad had happened.

"Wow, that was really exciting. I never knew Zuko was so good at something besides fire bending," Katara said appreciatively, her eyes fogging a bit with curiosity as she thought back, trying to think of a time when he used anything other than fire bending to fight their group.

"Well, he is pretty good with the dao swords," Aang said, thinking back to when the confused Prince had rescued him from Zhao so many months ago.

"What do you mean? I've never seen him use anything but fire to burn everything in sight," Sokka said, trying his best to be scathing and sarcastic as he thought to all the times he had shot balls and streams of fire at him and his friends.

"Remember when I told you that Zuko rescued me from Zhao? Well, he didn't use any fire bending at the time, and only used his swords. It was really impressive," Aang said, "slicing" the air with his hands as he illustrated some of the moves that the older boy had pulled off at the time.

"I wonder why he never tried to use them against us," Katara said, her finger touching her chin as she thought about it, earning a shrug from the others, save for Suki. Listening to Aang's story made her competitive juices flow, wanting to test out the older boy's ability with the bladed weapons.

"Maybe he was just holding back," Toph suggested, idly kicking at the ground with her feet from her perch near the bottom of the small staircase.

"Holding back?" Suki asked, wondering what the little girl was getting at. From her admittedly limited interactions with the Prince, holding back didn't seem to be a word that existed in his personal vocabulary.

"Well, swords are really dangerous, right? And he was always trying to _capture_ Aang, right? So, swords wouldn't really fit the bill," Toph explained, noticing the slight tick a the others caught onto the line of thinking.

"I guess that makes sense. So, what were you two fighting about? What, did he see you naked or something?" Sokka asked, his lack of tact earning him a hard slap from the bright eyed girl.

"God, it wasn't anything like that," she began, blushing despite her protests at the thought of such an event. "We were just sparring, that's all," she explained, running her slender fingers through her hair, wishing she had taken the opportunity to bathe before the fire bender.

"Sparring? That was sparring?" Katara asked, her voice holding all the doubt over the simplicity of what they had witnessed. "It looked more like you were trying to beat each other up," she said, Aang nodding in agreement over what they had seen.

"Really? I didn't notice," she said, wondering if it looked as intense as it had felt while she was in the middle.

"Yeah, you guys looked like you were having lots of fun trying to take each other's heads off," Sokka said, making a gargling noise following a mock throat slash.

"I guess it was just frustration," she responded, lips pressed together as she thought about why it mattered so much.

"Frustration?" Aang asked, bringing her attention back to the group that seemed to be grilling her on what she and Zuko were up to.

"Yeah. We've had a few spars over the last few days, and I guess it's frustrating that I can't seem to beat him," she said, shrugging her shoulders before making her way past the group into the house.

"Oh, if you run into Zuko, tell him dinner will be ready in a few minutes," Katara shouted after the girl, who simply waved her off before disappearing into the darkness of the structure. "Geez, they're so alike in some ways," Katara said in frustration before turning back to her chore, tossing Zuko's sweat soaked tunic into the house, not caring where it landed.

"That's a scary thought," Sokka said, his body cringing as he instantly equated Katara's statement with something else entirely. He pictured kissing the lovely Suki, only for his mind to replace it with an image of the quite un-lovely Zuko. Fingers wiggled as he tried to mentally cleanse the image from his mind, the thought disturbing him to no end.

"Idiot…" Katara mumbled, rolling her eyes as she stirred the large pot of soup.

"Huh…" Aang said mindlessly, drawing Sokka's attention back to him as he spoke.

"What is it, Aang?"

"I was just thinking, Suki just said that she's never beaten Zuko, right?"

"I guess so…" Sokka said wondering where the little bald kid was going with his line of questioning.

"Well, you never beat Zuko either, did you? So, that makes Zuko the best fighter in the group," Aang suggested innocently, watching as Sokka's face fell into a look of concentration, trying to remember a time when he had defeated Zuko in one on one combat, or even fought him outside of the South Pole.

"I'm sure I've beaten that guy," Sokka muttered, his irritation growing as Toph laughed loudly at his frustration.

"Wow, that's got to suck for you, Sokka. He's not only a Prince who will end up a king, but he's a better fighter than you," she teased, Katara also giggling a bit as she heard her brother begin to fume at the suggestion.

"Shut up! I bet I could take him," he mumbled, his hand coming to rest on the hilt of his lustrous black sword.

"Even if he was using fire bending?" Aang asked, impressed by Sokka's determination and confidence.

"Heck, he could bring on whatever he wants. He could even hurl lighting if he wanted, and I could still take him," Sokka said, thumping his chest in manly confidence as he imagined the arrogant Fire Prince bowing down in deferment to the Water Tribe warrior.

"Pfft. If you say so, Snoozles," Toph said, completely unconvinced of the older boy's ability to beat the fire bender at just about anything, aside from making himself look foolish (and even that was questionable, as Zuko could put his foot in his mouth with the best of them).

"Fine, then I guess I'll just prove it," Sokka said, ready to go off and challenge the older boy to a sword fight, right then and there. Before he could make it into the house, he felt a surge of earth rise in front of him, causing him to fall flat on his face. "Oww, Toph what the heck was that for!?" he asked, rubbing his now bruised nose.

"Geez, you can at least wait until he's not completely exhausted. Or do you want people to say you can only win when your opponent is down?" Toph challenged, knowing that even if Zuko were challenged at that moment, he would probably accept, due to his honor or some other such stupidity.

"Fine, tomorrow then. Then you'll all see how good Sokka is," he said, irritating Katara and Toph with his simple arrogance, while Aang just laughed a bit in his usual good natured way.

Making her way through the slightly narrow corridors of the royal beach house, Suki felt her eyes begin to hood closed, her body leaning against a nearby wall as sleep crept quickly upon her. Looking around, she realized she was nowhere near her own sleeping quarters.

A smile crossed her face as she noticed an open door, the moon's light filling the room with its soft glow. Making her way towards the door, Suki chanced a peak inside, her eyes barely holding themselves open as she gazed at the interior of the room. Contrary to her and the rest of the group's simple rooms, this one seemed much more finely furnished.

The bed nestled against the far side of the room was draped with see through fabric, its red tint looking pink in the trails of moonlight filling the room. She had a feeling it was a room she should not enter, but her body's exhaustion proved too much, and so she made her way over to the bed.

Soft, rushing air sounds filled her ears as she lay against the surface of the bed, fine silk brushing against the bare bits of exposed skin on her arms and back. No sooner had her eyes closed, than sleep found rent in her mind, her smile warming as she let the comfortable cushioning of the bed soothe her aching body.

"Ah, that's better," Zuko muttered happily, letting the cool air of the night wash over him as he exited the small but comfortable bath house. The steam rushed from the room, flowing around him as he took a few steps onto the cool wooden surface of the floor.

He had a feeling that dinner would be ready soon, and that if he wasn't there right away, then there would be very little to eat. But sparring with the Kyoshi Warrior had drained him more than he had thought, a condition exasperated by the second round the same night. Golden eyes began to close as he made his way through the darkened hallway, anxious to get to his own bed.

After a few steps, he felt a hint of surprise as his door stood ajar, letting a few rays of moonlight reach into the corridor from within the room. Not wanting to think about it, he simply trudged ahead, his feet feeling heavier and heavier with each step he took towards the sweet relief of sleep.

But as he stepped into the room, a hint of curiosity piqued his interest. Narrowing his eyes, he focused on the slender shape taking up space on his bed. It had not been something he had wanted to consider, but none of the rest of the group had wanted to occupy the room, leaving him as the only one making the choice.

Drawing closer, he groaned internally as the sleeping form of the young warrior came into view, wondering what she was doing there. But his wonder was thrown off, answered by his own exhaustion. As tired as he was, he figured that the girl was likely just as tired. His mind split into two distinctive ideas at once, each sounding logical at the moment.

The first was not as loud, telling him to just turn out of the room, or wake the girl and caution her to move to her own room before anyone caught the sight and had a difficult misunderstanding about the scene. It was logical, honorable, and what he should have done.

But the other voice sounded so much more tempting, as sleep whispered into his ears, each sound of rustling trees sounding from outside closing his eyes just that extra bit more. The second voice whispered that he could just crawl into the bed, drape the covers over her body for good measure, and just take a little nap. The sheen of red silk called more loudly, and without conscious thought, he found himself prone on the mattress, his back turned to the younger girl as his eyes fell closed.

"It'll be fine…" he whispered to himself as sleep claimed him, the dark shroud of night sending him off to the dreams that marked the unconscious mind. "Not… doing anything… wrong…" he mumbled weakly, a smile gracing his face as he fell asleep.

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**One can only imagine what might happen as a result of that turn of events. I will let you all ponder the ramifications until next time, so hope you will look forward to the next installment. This story is just a lot of fun to write, so I am going to try and do a one update per day kind of thing until it is over, and at this rate, it will end up similarly length to 'Zuko's Vacation' (which I do want to do the sequels to once I get mroe written for Zuko x Suki). Until next time, good readers.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 03: Potentially Compromising**

**Rating: K**

**Ah, chapter 3 of my Zuko x Suki story. This one, for some reason, didn't seem as good as the ones before it, but I will leave that up to the readers to determine. Thoughts on how in character they are is always welcome, as I have stated, since that is important to me (almost as important as making a good story). That said, enjoy the story good readers.

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**

The ornately decorated room stood in near silence, the sounds of soft breathing and rustling cloth filling the otherwise silent space. Two figures remained in position on the large four post bed, a few bits of crimson silk hanging down from the top edge of the large piece of furniture. Nearly transparent cloth caught the pale moonlight, casting a dim shadow across the two teens sleeping on the bed.

Both lay almost unmoving, complete serenity apparent on both their faces as their bodies recovered from a hard work out. Warm, happy dreams visited both teenagers as they lay upon the fine silk sheets, only a small space separating the two bodies as they slept.\

Suki's was the first body to break the stillness filling the room, her unconscious form turning gently to the opposing side, her body pressing up against the strong back of the young fire bender. A soft sigh escaped her lips as her body curled up closer to the natural warmth of his skin, her right arm finding its way over his stomach.

As the girl's sleeping form nestled against him, Zuko's own body began to move on its own, his arm perching itself atop her slender limb, a soft giggle escaping her ruby lips as their fingers entwined with one another's. Mirrored smiled plastered on one another's sleeping faces as they began to breathe in unison, the Kyoshi Warrior's slender frame molding itself against Zuko's muscular body.

"Geez, where are those two?" Katara huffed, her lips curling into a heavy frown, lines forming on her brow as she tapped her foot aimlessly against the ground.

"Maybe they're asleep? I mean, from what I gathered, they seem to have sparred at least twice today, and that takes it out of a person," Aang suggested, drawing from his own personal experience with bending practice for his assumption.

"Don't put them in the same boat as yourself, Twinkle Toes. I'm sure they could go again if they really wanted to," Toph said, unsure about her statement herself. Even from the limited time she had observed their training, she could tell that the two older teens went at it harshly, without holding back.

"Hey, I can handle it. I mean, I've been doing water, earth and fire bending training since Zuko joined us," Aang explained, the short list drawing the tiredness to the surface more heavily, his body feeling heavy at the recollection of the first day he had done practiced all three disciplines.

"That's true, you have been much better at handling it lately," Toph admitted, nodding her head gently as she smiled towards the younger boy. The slight increase in his heartbeat showed her that he was glad to receive such praise, something that made her smile even wider. He was such a sucker.

"Still, where do you think Suki and Zuko are?" Katara asked, slapping her brother's hand as he tried to reach out for the meal, blocking his attempt to steal some portions of the meal for himself before the others got a chance.

"I don't know. Maybe they are asleep," Sokka suggested, rubbing the sore spot on the back of his right hand while blowing gently on the wound. "I always sleep like a log after a hard round of training," he added, grumbling as he sat down at the top of the small flight of stairs, his elbows propping him up as he leaned backwards.

"What training?" Katara asked sarcastically, trying to recall any time when her brother actually did any training on his own. Toph and Aang both laughed a bit at her remark, leaving Sokka fuming over the seeming insult to his status as a warrior.

"Hey, I do plenty of training. It's just… um, when you guys aren't around," he said, not able to think of any times in recent times that he had trained himself. He thought back to when he had been trained with Piandao, and realized that he had not done much on his own since then. He wondered if maybe Zuko could help him out as well.

"Anyway," Katara huffed, getting the conversation back to the topic at hand, "neither of them are here, so where do you think they are? I figure Zuko finished bathing a while ago, so maybe Suki is doing that now," she reasoned, having to shake her head a bit as she found herself thinking of Zuko in the bath…

"That doesn't explain why Zuko's not here," Aang interjected, drawing Katara from her very mild daydream.

"Guy's probably just being lazy, or he's not hungry," Sokka said somewhat jokingly, a dry smile crossing his face. "Or maybe he tried to catch a peek at Suki and got pummeled for it," he added, rubbing his fist against his opened palm in illustration.

"Don't compare him to yourself," Toph joked, earning a gasp of only minor indignation from the young Water Tribe warrior.

"Hey, I would never do anything like that," Sokka said unconvincingly, knowing that given the chance, he would indeed likely do something like that. The young boy started to drool a bit as he pictured some of the beauties he had encountered on their long trip uncovered in the bath, earning a light smack to the back of his head from his sister.

"Maybe they're making out right now," Toph said half seriously.

"…"

"…"

"…" Silence passed between the other three members of the group as the weight of what Toph had suggested sunk in, looks of concern and panic rushing over their faces as they looked to one another.

"That's… impossible, right?" Aang asked somewhat nervously, his eyes resting on the dark skinned boy a distance to his right.

"Yeah, that's just… weird," Katara said in a similarly nervous tone of voice, wondering how Sokka would react to even the mention of it.

"AH, that was a good one, Toph. But I think Suki has better taste in guys than that," he said with his supreme confidence, his tone earning a heavy roll of the eyes from Katara and Toph, each suddenly wishing that someone would be able to smack a little more humility into the young man.

"I'll go see what's going on, and Sokka, if you steal any food while I'm gone, you get none tomorrow," Katara cautioned, smirking as Sokka's jaw fell almost to the floor, heavy grumbling soundin from his pursed lips as he crossed his arms over his chest. Aang and Toph both enjoyed a short laugh at the boy's expense as Katara disappeared into the fancy beach house.

As her bare feet padded around the hard, cool wood of the floors, Katara let herself admire the fine pieces of art, the intricate sculptures, and the generally fancy decorations adorning the walls of the small home. It was, she admitted, quite beautiful, and not something one would usually associate with the head of a vicious nation of would be conquerors.

Figuring it was her best bet, Katara checked Suki's room first, popping her head into the small room as the door slid open. She felt a hint of concern creep into her mind as she looked over the room that had apparently once belonged to the Prince Zuko himself. It was the room he would have most liked to pick, before he got stuck with Ozai's quarters.

It was, she realized, the more simple of the several rooms. Few hangings adorned the walls, accompanied by little in the way of furniture. Seemed to her that even as a kid, Zuko was more into the simple way of living, at least compared to the rest of his family, which seemed to enjoy the luxuries of their station.

The only pieces that stood out in the Prince's room was the bed at the far corner of the wall, seemingly positioned to keep as much distance from potential threats as possible, and a pair of paintings set against the nearside wall. One an older man, his uncle Iroh, and the other a young, beautiful looking woman. When the gang had seen it, they had questioned Zuko about the person's identity, and were all surprised to learn that it was actually his mother.

Katara glanced at the pair of paintings that seemed to be the focus of the lone strand of moonlight that had slipped into the room between the pulled red curtains. The eyes of both seemed so similar, shining with compassion and a sort of unspoken sadness. Both had obviously had a huge impact on Zuko, which combined with the brainwashing and manipulation of his other relatives to create a rather confused young man.

Smiling a bit to herself as she mentally went over the changes she had witnessed in the young Prince, Katara exited the room, leaving the door slightly open as she padded further down the hall. After a few steps, she reached a set of double doors that signaled the entrance to the spacious, relaxing bath house. Since they had taken up temporary residence at the Royal house, each member of the team had spent a good deal of time simply relaxing in the large bath.

Raising her hand a bit, she knocked on the door, hoping she would not have to simply barge into the room. "Uh, Suki? Zuko? Are either of you in there?" she asked hesitantly, waiting patiently for a reply. Silence was her only greeting. Worry started to increase in her mind, a sudden thinking that maybe Toph hadn't been too far off with her joke.

Part of her hoped that she had simply missed the pair of warriors, and that they would share a laugh at her expense when she rejoined the others for dinner. Her footsteps hastened as she made her way to nearly the opposite end of the house, where Zuko's room was. It was, she recalled, the most ornately decorated of the several rooms, clearly indicating its occupant and his status of importance.

A short sigh of relief passed through her lips as she noticed the ornately decorated gold and ebony toned door was slightly ajar, knowing that matters like what she had feared were generally conducted behind closed doors.

But as she slipped into the finely decorated room, relief gave way to panic as her piercing blue eyes widened, focusing on the two teens occupying the large bed at the far end of the surprisingly large room. The moon's rays dotted the floor, a distinctive ray landing on the sleeping faces of the two teens.

Closing the door in near panic behind her, Katara let the scene wash over her, thinking that maybe things weren't as they appeared. Even Zuko wouldn't be that stupid after all, she reasoned to herself. Taking a calming breath, she made her way towards the bed, relieved that she had taken to going barefoot while they were in the house.

Reaching the pair, she had to fight to hold back a slight grin, her eyes resting on the peaceful forms of the teens. Suki's arm remained draped over Zuko's body, hers nestled as closely to his as was humanly possible. Zuko's right arm rested atop hers, their fingers entwined together, mirroring the look of their tangled legs.

She wondered what could possibly have led to this situation, and so wiped the light smile from her face before tapping Zuko on the shoulder, hoping he wouldn't just shoot awake and hurl fire in her direction.

As he stirred awake the water bender leapt back a short distance, ready to pull out her water if need be. His eyes opened and closed a few times, consciousness slowly returning to his face after the short nap he had enjoyed. After a moment, he let his golden eyes rest on the brunette standing a short distance away, a shy smile on his face.

"Oh, Katara, is dinner ready?" he asked mindlessly, the inanity of the question catching the younger girl off guard. Her silence gave him a moment of confusion, and he let his eyes open fully as he gazed at the girl. "What's wrong?" he asked sincerely, his head still in a mild daze as he failed to notice the slender arm holding him securely.

"That's what I should be asking," Katara said somewhat accusingly, giggling a bit at the slightly ruffled head of hair on the Fire Prince.

Zuko thought to question the girl, but as he tried to sit up, he finally noticed the second body occupying the bed with him. Honey colored eyes drifted to the slender fingers grasping his own, up along the slender yet toned arm gripping him around the his mid section. Memory hit him like a ton of bricks as his gaze shifted behind him, finally resting on the smiling face of the auburn haired warrior.

The gears of his mind clicked into operation as his eyes slowly drifted from the young warrior at his back to the water bender in front of him, her eyes seemingly telling him '_Yeah, that's what I'm talking about,'_ something he found he didn't like. Panic set in as he fought for the right words.

"I can explain," he said quickly, wondering how he had gotten himself into that situation.

"I bet," Katara said accusingly, her arms crossed as she waited for his great "explanation", hoping at least that it would turn out better than one Sokka might come up with.

"We didn't, it wasn't anything like that," he said hastily, the words sticking in his throat as he tried to explain the situation. "See, when I came in, she was already asleep. I was going to move her, but, uh, I was tired myself and, umm, I sort of... fell asleep," he explained, hoping for some leniency from the younger bender.

Silence filled the room for a moment, save for the soft intake and exhalation of breath of the young Kyoshi Warrior, the warm air brushing almost painfully against the back of Zuko's neck.

"Pfft. Hahahaha," Katara laughed as she watched the Prince flinch a bit under the soft breaths, his face showing his frustration with himself as well as the situation at hand. "Ah, I get it, but you're lucky it wasn't Sokka who came looking for you," she said, wiping a stray tear from her eyes as Zuko slowly extricated himself from the female warrior's grasp.

A heavy sigh of relief escaped his lips as he stood upon the fine wood floor, not noticing the coolness of the night as his body felt nearly on fire. Casting a look back at the younger girl, he felt a sense of something akin to loss. It had been a relaxing sensation as he slept, a feeling he had not experienced in a long time, and he wondered if it might be because… He shook himself from even completing the thought, chuckling a bit at himself for such a silly notion.

"So, dinner's ready?" he asked, bringing the water bender's attention back to him as he ran his fingers through his hair to calm the small patch of hair that had gotten messed up during his short nap.

"Oh, yeah. You should go on out and I'll wake Suki," Katara said, earning a small bow of appreciation from the young Prince. "But, Zuko?" she stopped him before he could reach the entryway to the comfortable room.

"What is it?" he asked, turning his gaze back to her in politeness as she spoke.

"Is there anything going on between you two?" she asked, her voice cracking a bit with sisterly concern, worrying that her brother might gethis heart broken once again. The sincerity in her eyes shone in the whitened light from the moon, filling Zuko with an unearned sense of guilt for putting himself in that position.

"No, there's nothing," Zuko answered seriously after a moment's thought, the words somehow bringing a feeling of almost bitterness to his chest. But being the good soldier he had always been, he pushed the feeling away, chalking it up to not having enough rest. "We're just sparring buddies," he added, a smile crossing his lips with that.

"Alright. Tell the others that I'll be out in a minute, and that Sokka better not be sneaking food," she said, her face looking as stern as she could manage at the last part. Zuko chuckled a bit before disappearing from the room, waving his hand leisurely before heading off to play bodyguard to the night's servings of food, in case Toph decided to help Sokka out instead of being responsible.

Once Zuko had left the room, Katara turned her attention to the sleeping girl, her brows knitting together in confusion at the look on the girl's face. Somehow it looked more sad than it did when she had first entered the room. Slender fingers seemed to mindlessly clutch at the sheets, as though looking for something in particular.

"Suki?" Katara whispered into the older girl's ear, watching a slight shudder run through the girl's body. "Come on, dinner's ready," she said a bit louder, the lighter haired girl's eyes fluttering open in the moonlight.

"Mmpfh, Katara?" she muttered, her sleep addled face earning her an amused smile from the water bender.

"Yeah, it's me Suki. Dinner's ready, unless Sokka and Toph stole it all," Katara said, smiling as Suki giggled a bit.

"I must have dozed off. Guess I was more tired than I thought," the girl said shyly, glad that none of the others had seen her simply snoozing away. Especially, she thought, Zuko. There was no way she could let him see her looking so beat after a spar. "Something feels weird," Suki mumbled, looking at her right hand as she sat up, listening to the soft rustle of the sheets beneath her.

"Something feels weird?"

"Yeah. Like this isn't my room, or something."

"Because it isn't," Katara told the girl, watching the bluish green eyes widen in surprise, her head turning as she took in the sight of the room.

"Then, whose is it?" Suki asked, feeling a bit of a blush creep on her cheeks at having fallen asleep in someone else's room. Katara seemed to pause for a bit, seemingly debating whether or not to tell the girl.

"Zuko's," the water tribe girl said softly, her voice barely above a whisper as she mumbled the words directly into the older girl's ear. The revelation seemed to spark something in the warrior girl, as her face lit up, the blush even apparent in the paling moonlight.

"Z-Zuko's… room?" she said weakly, the realization hitting her as she noticed all the fancy hangings and other intricate trappings of royalty that marked the most lavish room in the palatial home.

"Yeah. He said he was going to move you, but just fell asleep himself," Katara "volunteered" on Zuko's behalf, unable to resist the urge to push the matter at least a little bit for her own curiosity.

"Y-you mean, he was s-sleeping in the same room?" Suki stumbled a bit, her mind wandering to the warmth she could still feel on her arm, and her stomach. The light scent of ash that still hung loosely in the air around her.

"More like in the same bed," Katara teased, watching as the older girl nearly exploded in either anger or embarrassment, she couldn't quite tell.

"Oh my god…" Suki mumbled, clasping her hands to her cheeks in an effort to cool them down at least a bit.

"Don't worry. He told me that he was going to move you, but I guess you both tired each other out quite a bit. He still looked pretty tired."

"Really?" Suki asked, a hint of excitement on her voice as she imagined the exhausted young Prince.

"I guess so. But, you should not make a habit of this. If Sokka had seen you two like that, I don't think Zuko would get out of it without injury," Katara teased again, Suki's eyes narrowing a bit in confusion, wondering what the girl was getting at.

"Come on, even Sokka wouldn't freak out just because we shared a bed," she said half heartedly, knowing that the Water Tribe warrior probably would freak out in all sorts of ways over such a thing.

"Well, maybe not if you were _just_ sleeping," the tanned water bender said, straightening her blue tunic as she stood from the bed, making a few steps towards the entrance of the room.

"What do you mean?" Suki's embarrassment increased as she tried to think of some other explanation for the small coincidences.

"You should know, since you're the one who was totally pressing yourself against his body, Suki. It would be sweet if it wasn't so wrong," Katara joked a bit, realizing why it was that Toph liked to have fun at others' expense.

"Really?" Suki squeaked a bit, wondering what Zuko had been playing at by putting her in such a situation.

"Yeah, but I think it was probably just something that happened in your sleep or something like that. But you're lucky it was Zuko there, or I'm not sure it would have gone so innocently."

"Oh," Suki mumbled, finding a smile gracing her lips as she noticed that she was still fully clothed, a clear indicator that Zuko's explanation was valid. "Ah, thanks for calling me for dinner, Katara," the warrior girl said, swinging her legs out over the near edge of the bed, her feet landing softly on the floor.

"No problem. Now let's see if we can actually get some food before Sokka eats it all," Katara said, listening to the soft rumble of earth, indicating that Toph was about to get up to something too.

As the two girls made their way down the dark corridors of the cozy house, Suki's mind kept wandering to the warmth that encompassed her hand, wondering why she felt so warm, so comfortable, even though Zuko had, essentially, snuck into bed with her. She could not help but giggle just a bit at the thought of Zuko's inner turmoil over finding her asleep in his bed.

"What's so funny?" Zuko asked as she entered the small courtyard, waving the older teen's question off.

"Oh, it's nothing," she said, grasping the plate of food Katara offered her before taking a seat next to Zuko.

"So, Zuko, I hear you're pretty good with your swords," Sokka said, quirking a brow towards the older boy as he slowly ate his food. Zuko lifted his gaze, staring at the darker skinned boy before swallowing his mouthful of food.

"I guess so. I'm not a master swordfighter or anything, but I get by," he said, supplying his honest modesty about his skills.

"How about we do a little sparring tomorrow?" Sokka suggested, Zuko's brow quirking up a bit in confusion.

"Seems a little out of nowhere," he said, his eyes falling on the sword at the younger boy's side.

"Nah, I just heard you were pretty good, and I haven't been practicing much lately, so I figured I could kill two birds with one stone," Sokka suggested, oddly serious for the occasion. The Prince felt himself waiting for a joke of some kind, and was surprised as the younger boy simply stared at him expectantly.

"Hmm. I don't know. I still have to do Aang's training, and all that stuff. But if you really want to practice, why not use Suki?" Zuko suggested, tilting his head in the direction of the warrior girl. The scarred teen smiled reassuringly at the girl, noticing her look of surprise, a look mirrored by the rest of the group.

"What!?" she and Sokka asked at once, eliciting a sigh from Zuko as he set about to explain what he meant.

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**Next time, we get the Zuko vs. Sokka rematch from episode 2. I have expressed to some of you my nervousness about it, since swordfights are harder to describe in detail than even hand to hand fighting, especially when you talk about dual wielding. But, I will try and make it worth the wait. Also, a little update on my fics. Currently, the plan is to marathon write this one until it is done, then similarly marathon the Toko story. Then, intersperse some Zuki oneshots in as I finish 'Where the Heart Is', all leading up to a double marathon for Ty Luko sequels. So, I will be busy writing Avatar fics for a while ^_^;; Until next time, loyal readers.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 04: Almost Conclusive**

**Rating: K**

**Ah, here is chapter 4. The apparently long awaited Zuko vs. Sokka fight. I don't think there was any way it was going to be as good as it should, so I will just let you all judge how it came out for yourselves. There will, at some point, be another example of it, but probably not in this story. After this chapter, it will pretty much be all building the Zuko x Suki bits of the story, so hope you are all ready for that. That said, enjoy the story.

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**

Looking at the surprised looks on the faces of the rest of the group, Zuko had an idea that maybe he had said something strange, or flat out wrong. Sokka let his blue eyes rest on the object of his affections, clearly finding the prospect difficult. The scarred teen let his eyes ret on the auburn haired young woman, the girl with whom he had spent the last few days sparring (or more like fighting) with, and her face showed a distinctly different expression than Sokka's.

While his was locked in disbelief, and distinct apprehension, Suki's lips curled into a look of almost predatory delight, excited at the prospect of getting to test her skills on someone she might stand a chance of beating.

"Zuko, what's the big idea?" Katara asked, breaking the odd tension that filled the courtyard after his suggestion. The older boy turned towards the water bender, his eyes shimmering in the traces of light from the torches scattered around the group's meeting area.

"What do you mean?" he asked seriously, hoping he wasn't going to have to really explain his motivations and reasoning.

"Well, they're… you know, together, so wouldn't that make it difficult?" she asked, motioning her hand from her brother to his girlfriend, the boy's wolf tail swaying in almost relief as he nodded his head in affirmation. Aang and Toph joined the others in waiting as Zuko went silent for a moment, seemingly gathering his thoughts on the matter.

"So what?" he asked seriously, the near finality of his tone increasing the sense of apprehension throughout the group.

"How can you just suggest that two people who are in a relationship just fight like that? I mean, not everyone is as serious about things as you are," the water bender said, her soft brown hair jumping about as she nearly leapt to her feet, her almost motherly concern for her friends' safety coloring each syllable.

"Like I said, what does that matter? It's just practice, so it's not like anyone's going to be killed," Zuko explained, his volume increasing a bit as he spoke, irritated that everything he tried to suggest or do seemed to be met with questions and accusations.

"W-well, that's true," Katara admitted, backing just a bit away from the seemingly suddenly irritated fire bender.

"Look, I didn't mean to raise my voice, but let me put this another way. Sokka, you're looking for someone strong to fight against, to practice your skills, right?" he asked, his eyes warming just a bit as he considered the younger boy.

"I guess so," the dark skinned boy answered almost hesitantly, his tone drawing a click of the tongue from the fire bender.

"That's not the right attitude, Sokka. If you want to be the best you can be, then you have to give it all your effort, not be really half assed about it. You can't 'guess so', you have to KNOW so," he said, implying that if Sokka were to even spar with Suki that he would hold back, not go at it with his full effort.

"Hey, I'm motivated!" Sokka shot back, taking the older boy's words as an almost afront to his male pride. "But that doesn't mean I should fight my own girlfriend. Not everyone is crazy like the Fire Nation," the blue eyed boy said, almost dismissing the notion entirely. Watching the young man's reactions, Zuko knew that he only had to push him a little bit more to get him to agree.

"Oh, so you're just afraid of losing to a girl," the banished Prince suggested, his lips pulling into a heavy smirk as Sokka's breath all seemed to rush from his body at once. Toph, Katara and Suki each leaned a bit closer, interested to hear the sometimes idiotic boy's opinions on that matter.

Looking around him, Sokka took particular note of his surroundings, memories of previous instances of him putting his foot in his mouth rushing to mind. Coughing into his hand as he cleared his throat, he looked seriously at the young royal.

"I am not afraid of losing to a girl. I am willing to do whatever it takes to get better with the sword, but I don't want to hurt the girl I love to do it," Sokka said seriously, only a hint of his occasional sexism in his voice as opposed to full on chauvinistic pride that he had exhibited at times in the past.

"Well, if you're that serious about it, then I guess I can't change your mind. If you're still interested in the morning, then I'll give you a match. But, if you lose, then you'll have to train with Suki instead of me," Zuko said, handing Katara his used dishes. "Thanks for the meal. I'll be heading to bed early," he added gently, bowing respectfully towards the young water bender.

As he passed the young Kyoshi Warrior, he gave her a knowing smile in passing, one that only she managed to catch. The girl felt a sense of gratitude for the young Prince, his efforts to help her connect further with her boyfriend apparent to her, even if Sokka probably wouldn't think of it that way.

"What do you think Zuko is trying to get at by trying to get me and Suki to fight?" the boy in question asked, his eyes passing over the rest of the group as he rested his chin on his opened palm.

"Maybe he's just tired from training Aang then having to basically train Suki at the same time," Toph suggested, shrugging her shoulders as she spoke.

"You think so? I don't know, he seemed pretty into it tonight," Aang said, flashing back to the short display he had seen the two put on as they rushed into the courtyard of the royal beach retreat.

"Maybe he's worried that he'll end up hurting Sokka," Katara suggested, a double meaning behind her words that only Toph and Suki seemed to notice. The blind girl felt a small smile grace her lips as she thought about the moody teen's awkward attempt to help the relationship of two of his friends.

"That certainly sounds like something Sparky would do," Toph said, hiking her thumb towards the Water Tribe warrior. "He certainly doesn't know how to hold back, so it'll be something to see," she added, sensing Sokka's indignation at the simple suggestion.

"So, what, you think I'll lose? Or that I hold back in my training?" he asked directly, curious as to what the opinion of him was among the group, as a warrior.

"I'm saying that you care a lot for those around you, so sometimes you just relax a little, expecting that nobody will get hurt. But I don't think Zuko has that problem," Toph explained, the meaning obvious behind her own statement. The group each felt a shiver run through their bodies at the implication, each trying to shift their minds from thoughts of the evil Princess.

"Well, that doesn't count. That's like real combat in the shape of sparring," Sokka suggested, earning no argument from the others. "But, I can see what you mean. That would certainly make anyone take even sparring seriously," he added, offering his bowl to his sister for a fourth helping of their meal.

"So, you should be careful, Sokka. You're great with the sword, but Zuko's style is way different," Aang said, sliding his plate towards Katara before offering her words of thanks for the meal, as Zuko had done.

"What kind of style is it?" Sokka asked, the thought occurring to him that he had never witnessed Zuko's use of his dao swords before, whereas Aang had apparently witnessed it somewhere.

"It's kind of weird. It doesn't seem like any style I've seen, but he can swing them really fast, with sharp, precise cuts," Aang explained. As he spoke, Suki and Sokka both leaned in, listening intently for any valuable clues on his style that either might be able to use against the young man.

"Whoa, it sounds like he was doing us a favor by only using his fire bending all those times he attacked us," Katara said, wondering how she might have fared against him if he had made use of the agility and speed he seemed to either forget about or ignore during his fire bending attacks.

"So, you should be careful Sokka. Even though I don't think he's got a master at it, he is really good with his weapons, so you can't take it lightly," Aang cautioned, not wanting to see his friend get hurt.

"Ah, thanks Aang," Sokka said simply, leaning back a bit as he took the information in. From what the young air bender had told him, Zuko seemed quite skilled with the blades, using them as an extension of his fire bending enhanced martial arts. The information filled him with a mixture of fear and excitement. As a fellow warrior, it was obviously exciting to fight someone skilled, one who could push him to his limits.

But he knew that Zuko was not one to hold back, and if he wasn't careful, one or both could end up hurt… or worse. He shook that thought from his mind, knowing that even with the young man's lack of taking it easy, he still had a good deal of control. The fact that Suki was uninjured after their spars was proof enough of that.

As the conversations died down, the group gradually returned to their rooms to rest for the night, each holding a slight anticipation and excitement to see the outcome of the seeming duel between Sokka and Zuko.

As Suki slipped into her own bed, she found sleep oddly difficult to reach, her mind a flurry of activity as she tossed beneath the red linens lining her bed. After tossing a few times (or maybe a few dozen), she simply lay on her back, locks of auburn hair fanning out beneath her head as she stared mindlessly at the ceiling.

No traces of the moon's soft glow entered her quarters, leaving her alone in the dark with her thoughts. She felt a sense of excitement about the upcoming match between Sokka and Zuko, but something else along with it. Her blue green eyes narrowed only a bit, trying to pin down the strange thought that seemed to be disturbing her rest.

Sure, it was exciting to think about two of her best friends fighting, displaying amazing skills and all that kind of stuff. But she found her allegiance torn a bit, not sure who she should be rooting for. Sokka was the guy she had waited for in prison, held faith in for her rescue and had left her beloved Kyoshi Island to be with.

But while Sokka always sought to fulfill her as a woman, to make her smile and feel happy inside and out, Zuko offered something she figured Sokka couldn't. It wouldn't be fair to expect him to. Zuko pushed her as a warrior, gave her a goal to reach towards with the entirety of her skills and determination. He offered simple companionship, with no strings attached.

He wasn't looking for anything from her, wasn't asking for anything, but offered whatever it might be that she wanted. A sparring partner, a sympathetic ear, advice from a guy's perspective, someone who could understand the pressures of leadership and being looked up to.

Shimmering bluish green eyes hooded closed as she thought about the Fire Prince, a soft warmth creeping across her cheeks. Suddenly the shimmer disappeared, replaced with a sense of something akin to panic. What was she doing? It should be obvious that she would root for Sokka… shouldn't it?

"God, I must be really tired," she muttered to herself, closing her eyes against the darkness surrounding her, eager to let sleep claim her, to allow her to straighten out the traitorous thoughts roaming in her mind. She focused her mind on the handsome boy from the Water Tribe who had visited her island all those months earlier, how silly he had seemed when he first sought out her training. How arrogant he had seemed at first, and how frustrated he was after being defeated by a girl.

But as the shroud of sleep passed over her, the image of the laughing, prankster of a boy slowly changed to the determined, proud face of the future Fire Lord, her soft lips curling into a contented smile as she fell to the soft invitation of slumber.

**********

As the group assembled in the courtyard the next morning, Sokka sought out the traitor Prince, his hand tightening almost painfully around the grip on his sword. As much as he wanted to prove himself to the entire group, he had to admit a bit of nervousness. His only other encounter with a master type swordsman was his own master, Piandao. While they had fought harshly, he had come out the loser in that encounter.

But Zuko was not Piandao. He didn't know the meaning of holding back, and worse yet, he was only one year Sokka's senior, as opposed to several decades. Sokka was aware that the scarred teen seemed to hold a great amount of natural agility, and strength that likely surpassed his own. Looking over at the scarred teen, he was a bit angered and more than a little jealous at how relaxed the older boy looked.

On the staircase lining the opened hallway, the rest of the group sat, eager to see the carnage and mayhem that was about to occur. All except for Suki, who had for whatever reason chosen to sleep in that morning. Ever the responsible one of the group, Katara opted to retrieve the young girl as the two warriors began their warm-ups.

"She better not be sleeping in Zuko's room again," Katara mumbled sarcastically, sliding into the girl's simple, almost Spartan room. Any woven hangings had been discarded, tossed to the sides of the room. But the inherent quality of the material used to construct the room remained, giving a distinct feeling of royalty throughout.

"Come on, Suki, they're about to start, and I don't think Sokka will be as enthusiastic if he can't show off for you," the water bender said, pulling the red blanket from atop the older girl's sleeping form. Blue eyes rolled a bit in frustration as she watched the girl smile in her sleep, lips smacking together every so often as she breathed. Quite an unladylike appearance as she slept.

"Mmm, Zuko I can't take any more," she mumbled, the words sending Katara's heart racing more than a little bit. Straining her ears, she listened for any hints that she had simply misheard the sleepy mumblings. "Can't… beat you…" she murmured, sending relief washing quickly over the young bender.

"God, is that all you warrior types can think about," she said, reaching out to shake the older girl's shoulders. As she came face to face with the blue green eyes of the young Kyoshi Warrior, Katara felt a smile cross her face. "Come on, they're about to start, and I think Sokka really wants you to be there," she said, the other girl nodding weakly.

"Alright, I'll be out in a minute," she said, shivering a bit as her feet came into contact with the cool wood of the floor. Stretching her arms out in front of her, she felt the blood truly begin to pump through her slender frame, the haze of sleep disappearing into the brightly lit morning air.

Slipping her sleep attire off, Suki quickly dressed, pulling the crimson clothing tightly over her slender frame. Fixing her hair into the Fire Nation styled topknot, she quickly followed after the young water bender, fully excited to witness the simple exhibition between the two skilled warriors.

Shielding her eyes momentarily from the brightness of the Sun, she blinked a few times, becoming acclimated to the shift in brightness. Settling into a seat at the right of the group, she looked over at the two warriors, almost giggling at the sheer differences in their approach to the matter at hand.

Sokka's tension was obvious, either from having to perform in front of a group, or simple fear of the skills of his opponent. But Zuko was calm, stretching out his muscles properly before settling down, taking a few calming breaths.

"Uh, Sokka, shouldn't you stretch or something?" she said, the boy tensing up a bit as she seemed to catch him off guard a bit.

"Oh, yeah, that's right," he said nervously, eliciting a few laughs from the assembled group as he dropped his sword before settling into a warm up routine. After a few minutes, the young man finished his warm-ups, picking up his sword's scabbard as he stared ahead at the young fire bender.

Part of him underestimated the skill of the scarred teen, always associating him with his element and discounting any possibility of him as a skilled swordsman. After all, that just wouldn't be fair, for one to be a master of two completely different forms of combat.

But a much larger part of him knew not to underestimate any opponent, to treat even a spar as a potentially deadly game. He watched as Zuko gripped the seemingly single sword, pulling it from its scabbard at his back. For a moment he wondered if Zuko was only going to use one sword, before the young man pulled the blades apart, the silver sheen of the twin swords shining in the sunlight.

"Sokka," the older boy spoke directly to the younger boy, catching the tension in his body. "It's not that big a deal. Just relax. You can't do anything if you're all stiff and tense," Zuko spoke, almost chuckling at having to give advice on relaxation to the young Water Tribesman.

"Ah, you're right," Sokka admitted, closing his eyes as he breathed in a few times, calming himself down in the process. Once he felt more relaxed, he pulled the darkened blade from its sheath, discarding the simply carved holder for his blade. Pulling the hilt up towards his face, he held it level with the ground, the dark metal reflecting the Sun's rays off into the sky aimlessly.

"Any time you're ready, Sokka," Zuko mildly teased, pointing one of his blades at the younger boy, twirling the lightweight weapons a few times to get a better grip on the now well worn handles.

"Oh yeah, and give you the-" he was cut off mid statement as the older boy lunged quickly forward, bringing his blade to the younger boy's throat. Blinks of surprise on the faces of all but Suki showed their shock at the quick outcome, before Zuko pulled away from the young warrior, a confident smirk on his face as he flashed the blades through the air again.

"Looks like I win. That's not quite what I was expecting, but it was quite interesting," Zuko said, teasing the young man a bit as he let the edge of the blades rest on the ground.

"Hey, that doesn't count. You just ambushed me!" Sokka complained, pointing his sharpened blade at the young fire bender.

"In a battle, not everyone is going to try and fight you fair and square," Zuko cautioned, Sokka wincing a bit at having forgotten such a basic premise of combat.

"Ugh, I know that. Rematch," Sokka said, his eyes narrowing in determination as he stared at the Fire Nation Prince. He hadn't expected Zuko to act in such a way, to strike so quickly while he was unfocused.

"Ah, I get it. But this time you better pay attention," Zuko said, moving the blades in front of his body, seemingly in a defensive maneuver. Golden eyes flashed above the shining edge of the blades, seemingly piercing into Sokka's very soul.

Not wanting to give the older boy any chances of a sneak attack, Sokka lunged forward, thrusting his blade directly towards the other teen's chest. A clang of metal reverberated through both bodies as Zuko swung down with one of his blades, diverting the attack as his second sword came straight at Sokka's head.

Pulling up his sword, he managed to deflect the attack, rolling his shoulders as he thrust the blackened sword forward once again. A quick upward slash from the fire Prince deflected his heavy stroke once again, the sound of metal on metal ringing heavily through the small courtyard.

Pulling his sword back, Sokka slashed from his left shoulder down across Zuko's body, the older boy using both swords to block the heavy strike. A look of confidence on his face, the young bender slid his conjoined blades along the edge of Sokka's sword, the tanned teen pulling back just before the blades reached the guard of his blade.

Small sparks could be seen as their blades continued to clash, each pushing the other around the small courtyard, each leaping off of steps in an attempt to gain the upper hand. Sokka felt his confidence growing as the match continued, wondering what he had been so worried about.

Catching the increase in Sokka's confidence, Zuko decided to take it up a little bit, sending a single blow towards the younger boy's head while the other thrust directly towards his stomach. Eyes widening in a bit of panic, Sokka twirled his sword as well as he was able, attempting to divert both attacks simultaneously.

Placing his black sword near his right shoulder, Sokka then slashed it downward, diagonally over Zuko's entire torso. He watched almost mesmerized as Zuko backflipped away from the heavy slash, the blades clanging against the stone ground as his hands landed on the hard surface.

Fingers tightened around the handles as Zuko leaned back onto his feet, smirking confidently as he stared at the Water warrior. Turning his shoulders slightly away from the young man, Zuko used the increased distance to gain a bit more power on his slash, the younger boy barely able to block the attack.

He felt the coldness of his blade press against his bared arm, Zuko sending his leg straight towards the now opened hand grip on the larger sword. Pulling his sword down, he pressed the butt of the weapon against the older boy's knee, sweeping out with his own leg as he pulled the blade away. His body spinning a single time, he held the blade against his back as he watched Zuko circle in place as well.

Blades seemed to almost disappear as Zuko swung them in separate motions, Sokka struggling to deflect each strike. The precision was apparent, as was Zuko's natural athleticism, giving Sokka the impression that he really needed to train harder to keep up with the young man.

Pushing forward, he swung his blade from Zuko's left side, hoping to catch him in a blind spot. The Prince ducked beneath the wide strike, rolling away from the young man before jumping to his feet. But Sokka's attack was relentless, the straight edge heading right for Zuko as he came upright.

As the blade came towards his face, he leaned back a bit, his head turning away from the solid strike. Falling to one knee, Zuko struck out with one of the blades, the lighter colored metal nearly coming into contact with Sokka's exposed right shin. But he lifted his foot, clasping it down on the metallic weapon against the stone ground.

Zuko kept his grip firm on the weapon, tensing his arm muscles as he tried to pull it harshly from beneath the younger boy's foot. He could sense that Sokka felt he had the upper hand, something he found a bit irritating. Loosening his grip on the blade a slight amount, he sent the other blade hurtling straight towards Sokka's foot.

The warrior had no choice but to move his foot, leaving Zuko an opportunity to reclaim his weapon. Sensing a momentary opening, Zuko leapt as quickly as he was able to his feet, his eyes only an inch from Sokka's deep blue spheres. He watched as Sokka tried to swing his sword in their close proximity, but finding the feat quite difficult to manage.

But as the blade approached, Zuko pulled his own weapons between them, blocking the heavier blade causing both combatants to back away for safety. Zuko was the first to recover his stance, lunging forward just as Sokka got back steady.

A heavy clang of metal on metal sent Sokka's sword sailing helplessly through the air, the blade inserting itself into the well carved ground with an audible thunk. Zuko smirked as he placed his blades at Sokka's neck, mimicking a scissors gesture at the boy's helpless face.

"Damn, you are good," Sokka said, raising his hands in defeat, watching as Zuko clasped the two blades together before slipping them into their scabbard. Once the blades were secured, Zuko offered the younger boy a hand, which he took with the humility of the loser of an honorable duel.

"Well, when you're a fugitive in the Earth Kingdom, it helps if you can fight without using your bending," Zuko explained, thinking back to his time in the Earth Kingdom.

"Wow, that was great you guys," Aang said enthusiastically, bringing the two back to the present. "It is great to have two sword masters in the group," he added, his youthful enthusiasm getting the better of him as he came up to the pair of warriors.

"Yeah, that was pretty interesting," Katara admitted, a nervous yet relieved smile crossing her face as she watched the two boys head towards the staircase to take a seat and relax after the tiring encounter.

"So, still think I should train with Suki?" Sokka asked, curious as to the other warrior's evaluation of him. Zuko thought for a moment, his eyes darting back and forth from one to the other.

"I think it would be useful for you to build some hand to hand skills as well as swordsmanship, so, yeah, I think you should train with Suki," he said after thinking a moment, Sokka's face showing something akin to surprise and disappointment.

"What? But what good does it do if he gets trained by someone who can't beat you?" Suki asked, pained at having to admit his superiority to her in the martial arts.

"You almost beat me last night. I don't think it'll be too long before you're as good as me, or better," Zuko said simply, wiping the thin layer of sweat from his brow.

* * *

**Zuko is so modest, he doesn't want to admit that he's just that damn good. Guess that's just another thing that separates him from Azula. Anyway, how did I do at the sword scene? Really lacking in confidence on it, so any thoughts on how it could be better are welcome. As I said, from here on it pretty much focuses on the romantic angle, so look forward to that, loyal readers. Until next time (hopefully tomorrow).**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 05: Getting More Intimate**

**Rating: K**

**Here is chapter 5 of the story, and hopefully it keeps going smoothly from here. Not entirely pleased with this chapter, and it feels a little bit forced and stuff, but hopefully it's nothing too bad. We get to the start of the two really coming to terms with some new feelings, and opening up even more to one another. Thoughts, as always, are welcome and encouraged. Hope you enjoy the chapter, for what it's worth.

* * *

**

"What are you talking about? It was like you were just playing with me," Suki said jokingly, nudging the older teen in his side with her elbow as she spoke. Zuko rubbed the sore spot mimicking injury, a warm, light smile crossing his face as he gazed at the young girl.

"Hey, I know my own self, and you might have won if it had gone on a little longer," he said, slumping forward a bit, his hands hanging limply between his legs as he set his gaze off towards the horizon. Just out of the corner of his eyes, he watched Suki do likewise, the pair of them gazing mindlessly towards the horizon.

"So, what's the plan for the rest of today?" Aang asked a little hesitantly, hope flashing for a moment that maybe he wouldn't have a hard day of training under the future Fire Lord. Zuko's eyes captured the young Avatar, ending any such thoughts quickly.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm feeling a little tired. I think I'll take the day off and just laze around. Aang, we'll pick up your training tomorrow," Zuko said simply, the intense look in his eyes lightening into a jovial, almost playful mood.

Everyone present blinked in surprise, all sets of eyes resting on the young Prince. Zuko, relaxing and taking it easy? Uneasy gazes shifted to one another, wondering if they had heard the young man right.

"Are you sure, Zuko?" Katara asked, wondering if their group could really afford a day lazing about, in the middle of the Fire Nation, with the battle to determine the fate of the world mere days away. Zuko smiled a bit more warmly, allowing his strong frame to fall backwards, his hands clasped together behind his head as the Sun washed over his muscular form.

"Well, there is definitely a lot of work ahead, but Aang is a really quick learner, so he's been making really good progress," Zuko said, causing the bald kid to blush a bit at the praise from his older friend.

"Nah, I'm not that good…" he said in his best 'aww-shucks' kind of voice. Katara and Toph rolled their eyes a bit good naturedly, knowing that Aang was probably just trying to suck up to Zuko to prevent him from changing his mind.

"So, you can take the day off, then we'll pick it up tomorrow, and double the workload," Zuko said, chuckling a bit at the gasp of disappointment from the younger boy. The others in the group laughed at the situation, watching the energy drain from his body at the prospect of doubling his work at fire bending training.

"Well, at least you get a day to rest up for that," Katara tried to cheer the young boy up, her brows tight knit as she considered how difficult that might be. She had watched their routine a few times, and it had always seemed quite intense and focused, not letting up until it had reached its conclusion.

"Hey, just because Sparky here is feeling lazy doesn't mean Aang gets a day off. He still has to do his earth bending practice," Toph said, cracking her knuckles as a maliciously playful grin crossed her porcelain features. The young air bender looked to the others for some measure of help, wincing as he found none willing to go against the blind earth bender.

"Sorry Aang," Katara said almost helplessly, clasping her hands together in front of her body as she apologized to her friend. "I promised I'd take Mister Shopping over here into town to pick up some supplies," she said, tilting her head in the direction of her brother.

"Hey, it's no my fault we have six people to get supplies for," Sokka said defensively, waving his hand at the seemingly always growing group of people. Katara's eyes narrowed just a bit as she looked at the taller boy, a different thought in mind.

"You're the one who eats like a rampaging platypus bear," Katara said, earning a light chuckle from the pair of warriors to Sokka's left. "And I bet you're just going to get a bunch of useless stuff if I don't go with you," she continued, poking her older brother squarely in the chest as she walked up to him.

"When do I ever get anything useless?" he asked, a moment of silence passing over the group as they tried to pin down one single item they could mention.

"How about that bag you bought back in Gaoling?" Katara suggested, earning a light wince from the older boy.

"Or that hawk," Toph added, smiling at the memory of the little bird despite herself. She really had to be thankful to Sokka for that one, as it had allowed her to get in touch with her parents. At least, she hoped so. But, she was not one to stay out of an opportunity to kick a guy when he was down.

"Whatever," Sokka said, childishly ending the argument by crossing his arms, leading his sister towards the large flying animal that served as their transportation as well as an essential member of the team.

"Suki, are you coming?" Katara asked as she allowed Sokka to help her into the saddle, two sets of blue eyes locked on the young Kyoshi Warrior. Feeling the sudden gazes locked on her, Suki felt an unexplainable surge of embarrassment as she stretched her legs out in front of her, wiggling her toes mindlessly within her light shoes.

"Nah, I think Zuko has the right idea on this one. I'm just going to rest up today, and then kick Sokka's butt tomorrow," Suki said, the promise of sparring with the Water Tribesman amusing her highly, even as it frightened Sokka.

"I think we're all looking forward to that," Toph joked, before dragging Aang towards the nearby beach, figuring he could use a little practice at bending in the sand that lined the warm beach.

Aang tried to escape the girl's grip, wanting to accompany the siblings from the South Pole on their food gathering expedition. They were lucky that Toph's scams had produced so much money, as it had lasted them this long, and afforded Sokka the occasional opportunity for impulse buying which he truly enjoyed. But Toph was not one to just let him out of his duty, and so dragged his limp body down the trail to the sandy beach.

After waving good bye to the sometimes over worrying Sokka, Suki glanced around the small, tropical scenery surrounding the Royal Beach House. In the distance, she could hear the rumblings of moving earth, wincing a bit as she imagined going against the blind earth bender herself. Good thing they were on the same side.

The serenity of the small island clashed with the image she had always held of the Fire Nation, an image of constant military activity and marches, horrendous steel structures and flames dancing all across the landscape. It was, after all, the homeland of the people who were the enemies of the whole world.

But to look at Ember Island, one would be hard pressed to imagine any horrible things happening at any point. Palm trees waved pleasantly in the light sea breeze, the soft rustle of the stiff leaves joining with the soft whipping sound of wind as it passed by one's ears.

Nearby seawater gave a slightly salty scent to the air, dampened sand holding its ground against the soft rolling of waves and wind. The girl let her blue green eyes close, allowing her other senses to fully take in the comfort of the area surrounding her. It was as close to her own home as she figured the Fire Nation could manage.

Her silent daydreams were interrupted by a light almost inaudible snore, coming from somewhere to her side. Opening the bright bluish green spheres to the world once more, she looked around the clearing, her face pulling into a gentle smile as her gaze fell on the form of the Prince of the Fire Nation, sleeping like a log next to her.

Hands still resting behind his head, his chest continued its steady rhythm, filling with air before allowing the life giving substance to escape back to its source. His lips held in the shape of a smile. It wasn't the sometimes goofy, enthusiastic smile of the Water Tribe boy, or the sometimes vicious, threatening smile of the blind bender.

Not the innocent, energetic smile of the air bender or the shy, hopeful smile of the young water bender. It was the smile of someone who had been through a veritable hell and come out on the other side, one who had lived the harsh reality of life and was finally allowed a moment of peace and relaxation.

Before she realized it, the auburn haired girl found herself simply staring at the young man, her fingers idly moving towards his angular face. One half the smoothest, finest skin she had ever seen on a man, and the other a horrible, disfigured mess. A constant reminder of the cruelty of man, something that would haunt him forever.

Her heart sank a bit as his smile faded, her fingers coming in contact with the roughened skin, the dark color contrasting harshly with the rest of his skin. His breathing became more ragged as her slender fingers ran along the surface, outlining the large scar with her soft fingertips. She could almost see the nightmares that began to creep through his mind as she touched the scar, silently cursing herself for pushing into territory that was probably not something he wanted to relive.

But gradually the fingers were joined by the remainder of her hand, the strong warrior's grip giving way to the careful touch of a woman. Her somewhat calloused hand rubbed against the scar, almost cupping his cheek as she wordlessly attempted to calm the sleeping young man. She watched as the distraught expression faded, replaced gradually with the more relaxed look he had worn only moments earlier.

Eyes locked on the sleeping form of the Prince, Suki tried to stop her fingers from moving, finding it impossible to do so. She watched as the slender digits held themselves against the hardened skin of his cheek, her eyes beginning to mist a tiny bit as she imagined what horrible deed could have caused such a horrible injury. She felt strange, as though she were not in full control of herself.

Almost as though some outside entity were controlling her body, her own thoughts seemingly watching helplessly as she continued to soothe the young man in his sleep. Slowly her hand lifted slightly from his face, her fingers ghosting lightly down his face, from the red scar to the smooth bit of flesh surrounding it.

The soft fingers stopped as they reached the pursed lips of the young Prince, small shivers running through her body as she felt his breath brush lazily against the paused fingers. Suki pulled them up a bit, her eyes focusing on the subtle opening and closing of his lips, listening to the soft breathing.

"What am I doing…?" she asked herself, running her fingers aimlessly through her hair, watching as the rust colored bangs hung loosely in her face, obscuring little bits of the Sun as it rained down on the pair of teens. Standing quickly, the girl took a few calming breaths, intent on getting her heart's beat back to normal.

Doing a few warm up exercises, she cast a glance back at the sleeping Prince, his legs stretched out in front of him. The bright yellow Sun cast its warming glow on the young man, filling him with the essence of his element. Black hair fell loosely behind him, fanning out against the pale color of the stone beneath him.

A soft snorting of breath caused the girl to giggle a bit, her cheeks feeling a bit flushed as she turned her gaze away from the young man. She wondered if maybe she was feeling a bit fevered from so much time in the Sun since they had arrived on Ember Island.

"So, you decided to stay behind?" Zuko asked somewhat groggily, the young warrior girl's body tensing a bit as his voice reached her ears. As the girl did not respond, Zuko sat upright, stretching a bit in the warm sunlight. "What are you so nervous about?" he asked directly, his good brow quirked upward as he pulled himself to his feet.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people, you know? It's a bad habit," she answered, a bit more nervously than she hoped she would sound.

"But I was just sleeping, so it's not like sneaking up on you," he responded, taking up position next to the young girl.

"I guess I was just daydreaming a little," she said, looking at the emerald green grass as it gave way to the white complexion of the beach. Out on the distant horizon, she watched the almost imperceptible rolling of the tides, the deep blue expanse meeting with the lighter blue of its mirrored counterpart in the sky.

"Daydreaming about what?" he asked, turning his golden eyes towards the young girl. The red outfit she wore seemed to match her perfectly. If he had not known better, he would simply have thought she were from the Fire Nation, and that somewhat ironic thought made him smile just a bit.

"What's so funny?" she asked, quirking a brow as she stared at the young man.

"Hey, I asked you first. Besides, you still owe me from last night," he said, reminding her of their somewhat unspoken arrangement during their sparring matches.

"Well, if I tell you that, then you can't ask a question later," she teased back, rocking forward and back on her toes, something he thought would be more like what Ty Lee might do when she was bored.

"That's true, except I beat you twice last night, so I could if I wanted," he shot back, smirking a bit as he showed her the finger signal for victory, nearly wagging the fingers in her face as she sighed in defeat.

"Alright, so what do you want to know?" she asked, trying to prevent him from asking her about what had her mind occupied at that moment.

"Why do you want to beat me so bad?" he asked, the girl's eyes opening widely in surprise at the question. She looked at him questioningly, looking for some ulterior motive behind his seemingly innocent question. But the look on his face showed that he was simply curious as to her motives.

"I don't know. Maybe it's because of how we first met," she said, smirking at the memory, knowing that Zuko would feel guilty about it.

"Ugh, I already apologized for that," he said in frustration, his voice lowering to a little higher than a grumble, a tone of voice he had become quite used to sporting during his time at sea.

"I know, I was just playing with you," she responded, sticking her tongue out a bit playfully as he groaned in further frustration. "I guess, I don't like the idea of anyone being stronger than me, and you're the first person who I don't really feel I have a chance against," she responded more seriously, her smile faltering as she let her eyes take in the sight of the crimson clad young man.

"There's always someone better," Zuko said glumly, turning to his right as he made his way back towards the comfortable house. Wondering if he might open up, Suki found herself following the young man, the pair making their way through the narrow corridors of the house, the occasional spot of sunlight giving it a sometimes eerie look.

"Azula?" Suki ventured as Zuko entered his room, stopping a bit at the mention of his younger sister. His tormentor, the source of a great deal of his confusion and his strife, but still his sister beneath it all.

"Why are you following me?" he asked, turning his head a bit to glance at the young warrior girl, his black hair falling lazily over his eyes. The light gold of his eyes caught the rays of sunlight, making them almost sparkle in the daytime light.

"Well, if you want I can leave, but this place is pretty boring by yourself, and we're not done talking, are we?" she said, finding herself hoping that he wouldn't send her away. It was not something she had worried about before. If he had left her alone at the beach on any of their sparring days, she would have been saddened, but now it felt different.

The sight of his large crimson covered bed brought back pleasant yet uncomfortable memories, a light stain creeping across her cheeks at the memory. How warm and comfortable his body had felt, even in her sleep.

She smiled as Zuko seemed to experience the same memory, a low growl sounding deep in his throat as he seemed to consider whether or not to simply send the girl away. After a minute, he sighed almost in defeat, his head hanging a bit as he moved to the right, allowing the girl to pass into the room.

His frustration grew as he watched the girl pounce on the large four post bed, the sheets wrinkling a bit as her body bounced a bit on the large mattress. "Glad you're having fun," he said in mock sourness, making his way to the small sofa lining the rightmost side of the room.

"So, is Azula really that much better than you?" Suki asked directly, propping her chin on her cupped hands, blue green eyes dancing with something like mirth as she watched the young man toss himself lazily onto the well cushioned sofa.

"Hey, you're the one who lost, so you don't get to ask me questions," he said, feeling all the energy leave his body as he nestled into the comfortable red piece of furniture. The young man felt a smirk cross his face as the girl's lips curled into a frustrated frown.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up," she mumbled darkly as he began to snicker a bit at her expense, her anger not holding as she felt herself smile despite the frustration of losing to the older teen.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh," he apologized, the girl nodding in forgiveness as a simple silence passed between the two, filling the room with a companionable, pleasant atmosphere that neither of them wanted to break.

"So, what is it that you want to know, other than why I want to beat you so badly?" she asked, taking the first risk after a few comfortable moments of silence. Zuko's face gradually contorted into a look of concentration, seemingly considering what he really wanted to know about the young girl.

She knew he would not ask anything too personal, or traumatic, as he had opted to always ask simple questions in the past. The kind of inoffensive questions one might ask when meeting someone for the first time, like her favorite animal and things about her homeland. She smiled a bit as she recalled his expression as she recounted the details of her home village, how he seemed to be able to see it the way she was just from her description.

"Alright, why did you fall asleep on my bed lat night?" he asked, the question taking her quite off guard. She suttered for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts for a somewhat intelligible response. It was a question she was not sure she could answer accurately, as she had not even realized it at the time. Trying to stall for time, she ran her hands through her hair, watching the auburn toned locks fall in front of her face as the bun at the top of her head loosened as well.

'_Of all the things he could have asked…'_ she lamented, her lips pursing in concentration as she thought about it.

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**Ah, a conversation in Zuko's bedroom. Surely nothing is going to come of that. Honestly, nothing... yet. But, they are definitely going to be heating up between them as they continue to grow closer. Hopefully this chapter makes some sense, since as I was going over it, some parts seemed weird. As usual, I leave it to the good readers to make thsoe decisions. **

**Also, I was listening to the song 'In Pieces' by Linkin Park, and it struck me as an almost perfect song to inspire an Azula and Zuko story, but maybe that's just me. Anyway, until next time, good readers.  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 06: Confluence of Emotion**

**Rating: K+**

**Alright, this one evolved quite differently than I had first intended. I think I ruined the characters here, but I will as usual leave that to you guys to decide. Not totally satisfied with it, but hopefully you will get some joy out of it. Simple set up, picks up where the previous chapter left off, and Zuko and Suki have their intimate conversation in Zuko's room. Enjoy the Zuki awesomeness.

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"Well... I didn't really know it was your room at the time," she said honestly, watching as he shifted in his position on the sofa, the subtle flow of air from the soft cushion mixing with the barely audible rustling of fine crimson cloth. She watched as the oddly silky black hair covered his fingers, his right hand propping up his head as he stared at the young girl.

"How could you not? I mean, you were there when we picked rooms," he explained, remembering how he had gotten stuck with the lavish room, the room that held subtle but distinctive reminders of his father. Reminders of a lifetime gone by, taken never to return.

"I guess I was just really tired," she added, pulling her legs beneath her body, sitting cross-legged as she turned towards the young man. "And it was the closest room, so I just came in, not realizing which one it was," she explained, thinking back to the night before.

"But you're the one that chased me," he reminded her, a smirk on his lips as he let himself fall prone on the sofa, his back pressing against the fine red material once again as he let his hands rest on his strong chest.

"Hey, you're the one who basically dared me to do it," she said, tossing a pillow from the bed towards the young prince, the two sharing a short laugh at the memory.

"That still doesn't explain why you chose this room," he said, getting back to the matter at hand. His own mind wandered to the position he had found himself in during that night, a light flush staining his cheeks at the recollection of poor judgement.

"I don't know. Katara told me to let you know that dinner was almost ready, so I was going to look for you, and then my eyes felt really heavy," she let her mind rest upon the night before, the vision of the almost eerie house broken by the inviting light from the soft moon above.

"And so you just happened to find your way to my room?" he asked somewhat sarcastically, earning another light hearted throw of a pillow in his direction. He chuckled a bit before calming down, turning his head so that he could watch the young girl. He noticed the light sheen of the Sun's light as it streamed through the crack in the curtain, catching the rust colored hair of the young girl.

Zuko's breath caught in his throat for a moment as he gazed at her, the light seemingly amplifying the deep crimson shade of her lips, a light glow around the loose strands of auburn hair that framed her soft features. Closing his eyes tightly, he tried to loosen the thoughts that found rent in his mind, focusing his mind on the night in question.

"Well, my eyes were feeling really heavy, and as I was looking around the hall, I noticed this door opened. The moonlight was filling the room, and it drew my attention," she explained, giggling a bit as she considered how silly it must have sounded.

"The moonlight?" he asked, his brow quirking upward in curiosity as his fiery golden eyes opened slowly. A soft smile graced the girl's features as she recalled the matter, giving her a further layer of a glow to her lightly tanned skin.

"Yeah. Silly, right? But when I came into the room, there was nobody here, so I just lay down on the bed. And it was so comfortable," she continued, running her hands along the fine red silk as a shudder of pleasure crept through her. The material was something she had little chance to experience before, and even put the other finery of the house to shame.

"One of the perks of royalty, I guess," Zuko supplied steadily, his own hands running across the red stained velvet coating of the sofa, the soft material tickling his hands gently as he felt the material.

"So, now you now why I was here, but why did you decide to get in bed with me?" she asked, snickering as he nearly choked on his own breathing, golden eyes floundering in guilt and surprise at the girl's ostensibly innocuous question. But even through the seeming innocence, he could sense something more teasing, more mocking in her words.

"Well, I, uh, don't know," he answered, flustered by the question. He knew he would have to come up with some kind of explanation, and speak in more intelligible tones of voice, but he found the task difficult.

"Come on, you can do better than that," the Kyoshi girl joked, her bare feet sliding against the soft, smooth silk topping the bed, her hands pushing forward as she leaned towards the young Prince. She had to admit, it was interesting to see the young man so flustered for a response, having been caught in such an undignified position.

"What do you want, it's my room after all," he responded more defensively than he would have liked. Suki seemed a bit irritated by his response, her lips pursing as her blue green eyes narrowed.

"Oh, so you make a habit of just jumping into bed if there's a helpless girl sleeping there? I thought you were better than that," she responded, watching as he turned his gaze towards the darkened ceiling, his own lips pursing as he thought for a moment.

"Well, I guess you just make a habit of jumping into a guy's bed, right?" he shot back sarcastically, the implication scathing the young girl harshly. In the short time they had spent together, she had gotten to know Zuko pretty well, and he had similarly gotten to know her similarly. So it wasn't a surprise that they knew how to prod the other if they desired.

But she knew there was something more that he wasn't telling, and she was determined to get it out of him. Slipping from the bed in one swift motion, she leapt towards the sofa, the air escaping Zuko's lungs as she landed squarely on his stomach.

"Come on, Zuko, you're full of it. What' s the real reason you slipped into bed with me last night?" she asked, her knees pinching him painfully around the stomach as her hands kept a strong hold of his wrists. An almost vicious smile crossed her ruby lips as she watched his eyes light up with righteous indignation, his cheeks alight with a dark blush either from being caught so stupendously off guard, or from the odd perch she had chosen to occupy.

"I hope you don't think that just because you put a little pressure on me that you'll get me to crack. Growing up with Azula pretty much gets one used to all kinds of mental torture, which is much harder to endure than physical discomfort," he almost sneered, his muscles straining as he attempted to lift himself into a sitting position.

Bluish green spheres flashed with surprise as he lifted himself slightly from his prone position on the sofa, his arms pushing against her grip with all the superior strength his body could offer in resistance. His lips narrowed into a heavy, confident smirk as he stared right into her deep, clear eyes.

The two remained in that position for what felt to each like a short eternity, sparks kicking up between them as they remained in their staring contest. A contest of wills, where the loser would likely be at the complete mercy of the victor. Suki felt a twinge in her chest as she stared into his impossibly heated eyes, the color of liquid gold piercing right through her.

'_Maybe this wasn't the smartest idea…'_ she chided herself mentally, feeling her resolve wavering just a bit, wanting to turn her gaze away from his deep, fiery eyes. But she couldn't give in just like that, she couldn't just let him win against her once again. Yet, more than that, she felt a sort of excitement pass over her, like she wanted there to me some more secret reason he had made his decision.

Her grip loosened a bit, his body beneath her ceasing its resistance as she leaned back a bit, her heart beating quickly in her chest. Panic settled into the space of her heart, her mind racing to try and find another explanation for what she was thinking. They were just friends, right?

'_Yeah, friends who spar together, feel comfortable just talking together, feel comforted around one another, and who slept in the same bed together,'_ her traitorous mind told her sarcastically, telling her what she should already have been able to decipher for herself. As she gazed into Zuko's warm gold eyes, she felt the blush flare a bit deeper, the warmth piercing right into her soul.

"I guess I was tired, too," Zuko's voice broke right into her mind, her eyes fluttering a bit as she blinked. She felt his body loosen, his back resting once again on the fine velvet material covering the sofa.

"Y-you were tired?" she asked, thankful that he had saved her from having to face her particular dilemma at that moment. "What do you mean?" she added, her breathing calming slightly as she scooted off of the young man, his legs swinging off the side of the couch leaving her a space next to him.

"I saw you sleeping there, and I figured you were just sleepy or something, so I was going to move you to your own room," he spoke, earning a soft smile from the younger girl at his thoughtful notion. "But as I reached the bed, I just felt this unbelievable wave of tiredness wash over me, like I couldn't even move another inch," he added, the two chuckling a bit as she imagined such an exhausted Zuko.

"So that's what happened," she said simply, rubbing her bare toes against the cool surface of the carved wooden floor, watching the pale skin as it interrupted the dark brown stain of the coated wood.

"But I didn't know that you tossed in your sleep," Zuko said almost innocently, a small smile gracing his lips as he chanced a glance at the younger girl. He almost broke into a short fit of laughter at the dark shade of crimson that graced her lips, almost matching the clothing she wore to cover her soft, slender frame.

"W-what are y-you talking about?" she asked, flashing back to what Katara had told her about their precarious situation. It had somehow not occurred to her at the time that as Zuko had woken up first, that he would naturally have been the one to have knowledge of the fact.

"Hey, don't worry, I won't tell Sokka about it," he said, almost sadly. The pair simultaneously imagined the other boy's reaction if he and Suki had shared a bed, and she had similarly grabbed onto the young man in her sleep.

"Thanks," she said, an odd sharpness cutting her chest as she let the thought fill her mind, unable to help but wonder what had made her sleep so comfortable that night. The pleasant dreams that had filled her sleep, apparently with Zuko held tightly in her arms.

"You know, that was the best I slept in a long time," Zuko admitted, letting his head rest against the edge of the sofa's back, black hair cascading lazily downward with the simple gesture.

"Really?" Suki asked, an odd sense of happiness washing over her as she thought about it, realizing that it was the same for her. "That makes two of us," she admitted, her smile warming as she joined the young Prince in lazing about, her own auburn hair falling a bit further down the back of the sofa than his.

Awkward silence passed between the two as they sat on the sofa, neither knowing what to make of the situation. Both wanted to believe that they were just two friends, who had shared a simple moment and that was it.

As they sat there, Zuko glanced at the girl from the corner of his eye, the girl's soft form taking up the majority of his narrowed vision from the scar covered eye. He let his mind wander to that night, and the pleasant feeling that had crept across him as he felt her wordlessly clutch at him. Let himself think of the soft feel of her slender arm draped over him, or the feel of her breath against his neck when he awoke.

"What are you so happy about?" her voice broke into his mind as he leaned forward a bit, realizing that he had begun to smile at the thought. A blush darkened his cheeks as he realized that he was not only thinking of the moment they had shared, but of the girl herself.

"Ah, it was nothing," he lied, turning his gaze toward the floor at his feet, watching the barely visible reflection of his body on the polished wood.

"Come on, Zuko, it's not like I'm going to make fun of you for being happy for once," she joked, nudging the young man a bit with her elbow. Suki watched as he mindlessly rubbed the spot where she had prodded him, his eyes not shifting from the floor at his feet.

"It's not just for once," he said, his voice almost pained as he brought his golden eyes up towards her once again, taking in the sight of her soft features. Her eyes nearly glittered in the small fractions of sunlight dripping into the room, some reflecting from the carved gold lining the still opened door.

"What do you mean?" she asked almost hesitantly, sensing the hesitance in his own voice, the sadness that coated it.

"It's just… confusing," he said, his voice lowering to a grumble by the end of the short, simple statement.

"What's confusing, Zuko?" Suki asked, wanting to give back some of the advice and comfort he had given her, intentionally or otherwise, in their small amount of time together.

"This," he said puzzlingly, not referencing any thing or person or time, only using the cryptic single word to describe his feelings.

"Well, that's an awfully big thing to be confused by," she joked, earning her a frustrated groan from the older boy. "Come on, whatever it is, it can't be that bad," she said casually, resting her hand on the shoulder of the scarred teen, his warmth passing clearly through the fabric of his dark toned tunic.

"It's not funny," he said seriously, causing the girl's smile to falter. This was more like the Zuko she had made her first encounter. The angry, unapproachable fire bender, as opposed to the understanding, calm Zuko she had gotten to know over the preceding few days.

"You can't know that unless you tell someone what's wrong," she said just as seriously, her voice rising to the commanding tone she used when addressing her loyal warriors, or others of a lower station than herself. She could see his eyes widen a bit in surprise, his lips curling at the corners at her commanding tone.

"So now you're going to try and break me by ordering me around?" he challenged, his fingers tightening together as he held his hands between his legs, the digits digging painfully into the skin of his hand. The tension was relieved as he felt a soft touch on his hands, slender fingers calming him as her voice echoed in his ear.

"Look, I don't want to see you like this. I know we haven't always gotten along, but I like to think that we've become friends," she said simply, the impossibly deep pools set on her rounded face sparkling with compassion and understanding, two things that the exiled Prince Zuko was entirely unfamiliar with receiving.

He felt his chest tighten a bit as he gazed at her, his eyes flashing over her face, instinctively looking for any sign that she was simply trying to find a weakness to exploit, the way that Azula always did. But he found none, no trace of malice or anything but concern and compassion.

"We're not friends," he said surprisingly darkly, quickly turning away from the girl. He felt his chest tighten more as the words escaped his lips, and he knew that she felt the same, her hand extricating itself from atop his own, a muffled gasp sounding from impossibly beautiful, full ruby lips.

"What do you mean, Zuko?" she asked, her voice cracking a bit as the words stung deep in her chest, her heart slowing at the sound of pain in his voice as he spoke. "Of course we're friends, we-"

"But I can't think of you as a friend, because I think I love you!" he shouted all at once almost angrily, but distinctly frustratedly, his voice filling the room with the surge of emotions as he clenched his hands closer together. He waited for a moment for her to respond, to strike him or scold him or something, anything but sit there in silence.

Suki leaned back against the well embroidered arm of the sofa, her heart almost having stopped at his burst of emotion. It was almost like a dam had simply burst in his chest, causing the emotions to pour out of him in a torrent of words and thoughts. She wasn't sure if he had meant what he had said, but she found that a part of he wanted it to be true. A surprisingly big part of her.

She watched his chest move harshly from the sudden outburst, his inky black hair draped over his face as he continued to stare at the floor. She could tell that he was waiting for her to say something, anything, but she found rational thought hard to come by.

"Why do you say that?" she asked, hoping he would be able to give some reason behind the outburst, or at least give her an excuse to keep listening to his voice. He slowly lifted his head, gazing at her in confusion or sadness, or maybe both.

"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice almost broken and sad, desperate for her to simply forget that he had said anything, hoping that somehow they could just continue on as they had been before.

"Come on, I know you. As weird as you are at times, you don't just say things for no reason, so tell me how you came to that conclusion?" she challenged, swallowing the lump that had found its way into her throat as she watched the young man fidget a bit beneath her intense gaze.

"It's not that hard to figure out."

"Humor me, then," she said somewhat light heartedly, her mood rising as she caught an exasperated smile from the young man. Crossing her legs beneath her, the young girl nodded simply, motioning for him to explain. He took a deep breath, pulling himself upright, his feet planted firmly on the floor.

"Ugh, you're kind of nosey, you know," he said, earning him a jab in the side form the girl's foot, a more calm smile gracing his face.

"Yeah, and you're just stalling, so out with it," she said directly, her face puling into a smile as his eyes flashed with defeat. He leaned back against the sofa, his head once again coming to rest upon the top edge of the heavy back, the crimson velvet rubbing casually against his exposed neck and the base of his head.

"I don't know exactly what you want me to say," he admitted, eyes closing against the darkened tints of the ceiling above him. He knew he had backed himself into a corner with his poorly chosen admission of guilt, basically.

"How long have you felt this way?" she asked, pulling her knees up towards her chest, her body shuddering a bit as her bare feet brushed against the fine crushed velvet coating the sofa.

"Not long," he said simply, not wanting to volunteer any more information than he had to, despite knowing that she would not simply leave the matter alone.

"Very helpful," Suki shot at him sarcastically, giggling a bit as his head rolled upon the edge of the sofa, his eyes once again resting on her. "It's just a bit of a surprise to hear you make a declaration like that," she said, blushing a bit as their eyes met, consciously trying to break the gaze they shared.

"I just didn't want things to get weird," he admitted, jumping onto his feet, padding lazily towards the other side of the room. He listened to his own soft footsteps, trying to gather his thoughts more carefully.

"Weird?" she asked, not quite sure what he was getting at.

"You've seen how it is with the others, right? I think they just talk to me as long as I'm useful to the group," he said somewhat sadly, knowing it wasn't quite true. But his mind would always play with him like that, putting seeds of doubt where they had no business being.

"That's not how it is, Zuko. Everyone trusts you now, you've earned that," Suki comforted the young man, her ears perking up a bit as she listened to his soft breathing. She could tell he was trying to calm himself down, and so she let him take his time.

"But the last few days, I've had a lot of fun getting to know you, and sparring and just hanging out," he admitted, the girl's smile widening as she listened to him speak. She felt happy that it had not only been her enjoying their time together over the past few days.

"I've enjoyed talking to you too, Zuko," she admitted, watching him lean heavily against the dresser at the opposing end of the room. The heavy piece of furniture clunked a bit with the sudden addition of pressure, followed by a short silence.

"It's just... I don't know. It just feels so confusing. Ever since that first night, you've been on my mind all the time, and now there's that whole thing last night," he said, his fingers clutching the edge of the dresser, the fleshy digits digging painfully into the unforgiving wood surface.

"Really?" she asked, tilting her head just a bit as she watched the back of the young fire bender, his whole body tense as he seemed to struggle with each word that escaped from his lips.

"Yeah. And I know it's wrong, and you're with Sokka, and it would mess everything up, and I know you don't feel that way about me, but I can't help it. It's just so… different with you. Different than it is with anyone else," he said, not risking a glance back at the young girl, not risking a look into the impossibly clear eyes, or at the red stained lips or unbelievably smooth skin.

"I never knew," she said, slipping her feet onto the floor slowly, her heart beating quickly in her chest as she let his words wash over her.

"I shouldn't have told you. I know it's not something you need to deal with, but I knew I couldn't just keep it inside any more," he explained, his voice lowering more and more with each syllable, the conflicted emotions clear in his speech.

"Zuko…" she said softly, bringing herself to her feet, padding slowly over towards the seemingly confused young man. "Is that why you wanted to get Sokka to start training with me, because you thought things were going to get weird between us?" she asked, a happy smile gracing her face as she approached the young man. Her hand found its way to his shoulder, resting gently on the strong muscle as his head nodded dumbly in response.

"Yeah. But, I wasn't sure how I felt at the time. I just thought it would be better if you were getting closer to someone you liked, instead of someone you were just putting up with," Zuko said, offering the girl a sad sort of smile as he slowly turned his gaze towards her, his resolve weakening as he peered into the deep bluish green of her soft eyes.

"But you've never asked anything from me, really. You were always just putting up with it when I was being selfish, or complaining or just wanted to vent some frustration," she said, her hand almost mindlessly making its way to his cheek, cupping it gently as a warm haze passed over her mind, eyes hooding closed in almost hypnotic rhythm.

"That doesn't give me an excuse from sharing a bed with you," he said, his own eyes hooding closed as the girl began to come even closer to him, her natural scent filling his senses as her toned body began to lean against him, her breath brushing almost painfully against his neck.

"It doesn't excuse me from snuggling up close to you in the night," she responded, rational thought slipping quickly out the window as she found her senses confused by the natural scent of slightly burned skin and ash, all the senses associated with the most unpredictable of the four elements.

"But you didn't know I was there. You probably thought it was Sokka," he said weakly, his arms moving with no input from his mind, finding their way around her narrow waist, pulling the girl gently against him.

"Maybe. But I know you're not Sokka now," she said in a husky tone of voice, the timbre of it sending shivers up the young man's spine. Their breathing both quickened, lost in the gaze of the eyes of the other, memories passing between them. Conscious thought screamed that they shouldn't, that there was too much to risk, but hearts spoke more loudly, more clearly.

No further words passed between them as their lips drew closer together, short sighs of anticipatory relief washing over each of them. All the fire and the passion from their sparring sessions, all the easy laughs and friendly nudges and other assorted shows of affection joined together in one perfect moment. His arm's grip around her tightened, pulling her body tighter against his as she leaned forward and up, deepening the kiss as much as she was physically able.

Zuko could not help but recall the other two girls he had kissed, the memories coming almost unbidden to his mind. The kiss with Jin was sweet, innocent, pure. A gift given for a kind gesture, a show of affection for one under a crush. Mai's kisses were soft, but warm, the heat hidden beneath her shell of disinterest surging to the surface when it was just the two of them together.

But this was something else entirely. Passion, appreciation, compassion, lust, need, desire, friendship. All the more positive human emotions seemed to describe it, and yet failed entirely to do it justice in his mind. He felt himself smile against her sweet, soft ruby lips as a single thought came to mind to describe it. Love. He knew that things would be different between them, but he didn't care.

His body leaning backwards against the heavy dresser, he felt all the girl's passion, all her energy pour forth into the kiss, their bodies warming up considerably with the increased heartbeats. After a few moments of indescribable depth of the kiss, the girl pulled away slightly, her cheeks flushed and her lips moist from the show of affection.

A contented smile graced her lips as she settled her breathing, her arms propping her up as her hands rested on the edge of the dresser on either side of the young man's strong upper body.

"So, what now?" she asked, her mind still abuzz from the pure electricity she had tasted from his lips, the delirious pleasure she still felt coursing through her chest.

"I don't know," he answered simply, his free hand brushing her rust colored hair from her soft features. "But, we can figure that out together," he added simply, the girl smiling warmly at the young man as she closed her arms around his chest, hugging him tightly as she pressed her lips once more to his.

Whatever lay ahead, they would be able to face it together. After all, they were both strong in both body and mind. And they could take anything.  


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**Woo, things are heating up between the two newly found lovebirds. Not going to have a sex scene in this story, so relax all of you who thought that might be coming. But it will definitely get complicated before it gets to the conclusion. Again, thoughts on how much I wrecked the characters here is welcome, if I need a rewrite. Until next time, good readers.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 07: Caught in the Act**

**Rating: T**

**In this chapter, the two have their budding romance discovered by the de-facto leader of Team Avatar, and it sets up the rest of the story. Not sure if it will continue once the points are resolved, or not. Mostly because if I do, then it would involve an alternate retelling of the events of Sozin's Comet, and I'm not quite sure I'm ready to go there yet. But, for now, enjoy the little bit steamier Zuko x Suki content here.

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Wincing with each step, the bald air bender slowly made his way up the small incline from the beach to the comfortable house. His entire body felt as though it had been used as a punching bag, which, with Toph, wasn't that much of a stretch. He wished that she would take a break on him for at least one day, like Zuko had done. But as he thought back to the training routine he had just been put through, he had a feeling that she may well have made it more intense to make up for the lack of fire bending training that day.

"Ugh, why can't she just relax for once," he said to no one in particular. The young man knew better than to hold it against her too much, as she was generally just as relaxed as Sokka was on occasion. At least, when it wasn't interfering with whatever plan he had come up with.

Spotting his large friend, the young monk plopped down face first onto the sky bison's flat tail, the soft fur bringing a smile to his face as he felt the tension flowing freely from his body and allowing his aching muscles to rest even if a little bit.

A relaxed sigh escaped his lips as he rolled onto his back, hands flying outward in either direction as he listened to the soft rumblings from the large horned beast. A small chittering sound accompanied it as the flying lemur hopped down from its perch atop Appa's saddle, floating softly onto Aang's stomach.

"Hey, buddy. Seems kind of quiet here with everyone off doing stuff," he said, scratching the small creature behind the ears. The young boy felt his lips curl into a smile as the monkey-like creature nuzzled against his hand, a happy noise coming from the creature as its eyes closed.

Opening his stone grey eyes, Aang looked around the comfortable courtyard, taking in the red and gold tones lining the structure. Unlit torches stood silently at either of the four corners, waiting for their purpose to be served under the cool sometimes uneven glow of the nighttime sky.

Letting his somewhat hazed sight drift, he gazed up at the vast, endless expanse stretched out above him, the sky's calming blue dotted with occasional patches of fluffy whiteness. He idly stretched his hand out, mimicking the motion for grabbing one of the soft looking lumps, smiling as he watched it disappeared beneath his closed fingers.

Judging from the Sun's position, he figured he and Toph had been training for a good amount of time, and this would usually be where Zuko showed up, ready for his own fire bending training. Aang felt a relief wash over him as he remembered the older boy's words, and looked forward to an afternoon of doing nothing.

Toph had chosen to remain behind at the beach for a while longer, intent on doing some solo practice. He figured she wanted to stay a few thousand steps ahead of him when it came to earth bending, a thought that made him smile a bit. Even though he was the Avatar, it was somehow relaxing to know that there was a bender more skilled than him out there.

At least, one more skilled who was on his own side. Smile fading, his mind wandered to the monarch of the enemy nation, the most feared man on the entire planet. Aang wondered if, even after mastering all four elements, he could defeat someone who could come so close to subjugating an entire world.

Shaking the thought from his mind, he pulled into a sitting position, clasping his hands firmly to his cheeks to "steel his resolve" so to speak. But the gesture agitated the ache in his muscles, causing him to tumble back into the soft tail of the large creature.

Calming down a bit, he found his mind wandering to his friends from the Water Tribe, wondering what might be taking them so long. Whenever it was just Katara and Zuko or himself, their shopping excursions were more direct affairs, Katara making all the purchases with the accompanying member used more as a pack mule than source of input.

But with Sokka, things always got more complicated. He had an almost feminine liking for shopping, a thought that made Aang chuckle a bit. Shopping, and buying sometimes entirely unnecessary things was one of the things that always cheered the young man up, something Aang wasn't sure he would ever understand.

Feeling the intensity of the workout falling heavily upon him, Aang let his eyes close, a heavy, contented sigh escaping his lips as he fell asleep. It had been a while since he took a mid-day nap in the warm sunlight.

As Aang was drifting off to a lazy mid-day slumber, Zuko and Suki were recovering from their rather intense makeout session, Zuko's back resting against the well carved black headboard as Suki rested her head against his leg. His fingers ran idly through her soft auburn hair, smiling as the thin strands slipped easily between his digits.

"So, the Blue Spirit huh?" she asked, his fingers ceasing their calming strokes, his breath catching a bit in his throat. The girl broke into a short fit of giggles, watching his golden eyes flood with embarrassment, clearly upset by the mention of his alter ego.

"What about him?" he asked in his best attempt at being defensive with the girl's head resting so close to his lap, a dry smirk finding its way across his lips as he let his hand slide down the girl's face, gently tracing the outline of her cheek and jaw.

"Come on, it's not like I'm going to tell anyone about it," she said almost pleading, her eyes fluttering a bit, her best attempt at distinctly feminine charm. The girl smiled as she heard him chuckle a bit, the motion of his body moving her head a little against his strong leg.

"Well, I thought the deal was that I only tell you if you beat me in a sparring match?" he teased, rubbing the back of his hand casually over the soft, silky smooth skin of her cheek, to which she subconsciously leaned in a bit closer.

"Hey, I think we're way past keeping secrets, don't you?" she challenged back, smirking as his breathing slowed a bit, her eyes opening as she watched his warm gold spheres light with concern, clearly wondering whether or not he should tell her about this part of his past.

"But it's not exactly something I'm proud of," he said genuinely, a look of sadness crossing his face as he let the thoughts wash over him. The image of the blue and white mask, covering the scarred face of the banished prince as he stole from the innocent folks of the Earth Kingdom. His jaw clenched as he thought back to his behavior in Ba Sing Se, when things had really changed for him.

His body's tension loosened as he felt a soft hand cupping his cheek, slender fingers stroking the heavy scar marking the majority of his left cheek. Looking down, he caught the warm, comforting smile she offered him, the reddish brown hair fanned out across his crimson clad legs.

"Come on, Zuko. It's easier to put the past behind you if you let someone else carry the burden with you, isn't it?" she asked, her right hand gently stroking his scarred cheek. The girl was struck as always by the sheer viciousness of the burn, how large it was compared to the majority of scars she had seen in the war.

"Like I said, it's not the best decision I ever made. I was traveling in the Earth Kingdom…" he began simply. As he recounted his various adventures in the Earth Kingdom, he watched out of the edge of his vision as her facial expression changed seemingly with each new detail. But he couldn't muster the same sort of sadness, as he knew the large majority of it stemmed from his own stubbornness.

"And then once the bison was free, I tossed the mask into Lake Laogai, and that was the end of the Blue Spirit," he said, concluding his recounting of his time in the Earth Kingdom. For a moment, Suki said nothing, simply staring up at the young man, deep blue green eyes piercing calmly into his soft golden pools.

After a few moments of her staring up at him, the girl pulled into a sitting position right in front of him, her eyes still locked firmly with his. He gulped a bit, a sudden nervousness washing over him at the intensity of her stare.

"Zuko, you're not just lying to get sympathy, are you?" she asked, her eyes narrowing a bit as she leaned closer to the young man. He felt threatened at that moment, insulted that someone could think he would lie about something like that.

"Heh, I guess it's all pretty hard to believe. But, you can make your own decisions about whether I'm lying or not," he said in return, his golden eyes falling onto the sheets beneath them, their red sheen catching the Sun's light as it streaked across the room, filling the otherwise dark chamber with bright light.

"Yeah, it is hard to believe," she said simply, her heart aching a bit after hearing his sad story. "I'm sorry," she said idly, throwing her arms around the young man in a tight embrace, burying her face against his shoulder.

"What the heck are you sorry for?" he asked, gently rubbing the girl's back, his hand rubbing against the soft crimson cloth she used as her shirt. He felt the somewhat broken breaths as her body shook gently with each intake, her grip tightening around him.

" I hated you for so long. Hated you for burning down my village, for hunting the Avatar, for being a part of the Fire Nation," she began, ranting a bit as she continued to clutch tightly against the older boy.

"Suki…" he began, her body shuddering a bit as his voice brushed gently against her ear, his warm breath tickling the sensitive skin. But before he could say anything else, the young woman pulled her face from his shoulder, shaking her head in refusal to listen.

"No, just listen. I hated you for so long, I let it cloud my thinking. I never thought that you were going through just as much because of this war as anyone else, if not more," she said softly, a stray tear flowing from her right eye, which Zuko gently wiped away.

"It's understandable. I attacked your village, put all your people in danger, and it could have ended a lot worse," he said once the girl had finished speaking, his arms resting securely around her slender waist, her own arms similarly wrapped around his stomach as she pressed her cheek against his chest, listening to the steady beating of his heart.

"But it didn't," she said weakly, her voice a broken mess as she compared her own difficulties to his, realizing that he had endured worse than she could have possibly imagined for a member of any Royal family.

"But it could have. So, I don't want you to just say it's okay, because it's not," he said roughly, his grip tightening around her waist as he pressed his head into the crook of her neck. His warm breath seeped through the thin fabric of her shirt, sending small shivers through her body at their closeness.

"Zuko… it is alright. We all know you're sorry for all the mistakes you made in the past, but you need to let it all go. You have to look towards the future. You're here with us now, helping to put a stop to all this. That's good enough, isn't it?" she said simply, pressing her hand against the back of the young man's head, letting the soft black locks slip gently between her fingers.

The two stayed like that for a few minutes, taking in the full closeness of the other, enjoying the warmth and affection. They talked, Suki telling him about her own difficulties after leaving Kyoshi Island. Zuko told her about his huge mistake in Ba Sing Se, how it had almost cost the world its only hope for salvation.

Eventually they found themselves both lying prone on the bed, looking up at the ceiling of the large bed, the red silk hanging loosely from each of the four edges. Zuko had opted to leave them in place, but never pulled them down around the bed. Their conversation gradually grew less dire, switching to the light hearted side of their time in the war.

Suki told him about how she had met up with Sokka and the rest of the Avatar's group at Full Moon Bay, and had joined them in crossing the Serpent's Pass. A sad look came across her face as she recalled what Sokka had told her about his first love, how he had been unable to save her.

"Did you ever meet her?" he asked, drawing her attention towards him, her arm propping her head up as she stared at him. Zuko held his gaze on the material above his head, his golden eyes not shifting as he waited for her reply.

"No. He met her a while after they left Kyoshi Island," she said, rolling playfully atop the young man, pressing her body firmly against him as his arms rested on her toned backside, a light squeeze earning him a light squeak from the young warrior girl.

"Well, Sokka's a cool guy, so it's not surprising that he's pretty good with the ladies. Ty Lee seems pretty taken with him, too," Zuko said almost in passing, the mention of the bouncy acrobat drawing the girl's attention.

"What? Really?" Suki asked, her tone caught between surprise and thoughtfulness. Even as slow as he could be sometimes, Zuko caught onto her reasoning quickly, pressing his lips to hers softly before answering.

"It was probably more like a crush, but she definitely mentioned that he was 'cute'," Zuko said, struggling to get the final word from his lips as he recalled the occasion that the brunette had mentioned the Water Tribe boy.

"You think…"

"I don't know. But if you're sure about where you stand with him, then he's free to make his own decisions," Zuko said, the girl's lips pressing against his serving as her answer as to his insinuation.

Feeling a bit of mischievous spirit, the young girl pressed her hips down roughly against the young man's, smirking against his lips as she watched his eyes widen in a bit of surprise at her gesture. Pulling away, she grinded playfully against him, feeling a heat build up in her own body as she continued to tease the older boy.

Not one to back away from any challenge, Zuko set his fingers on her sides, letting the soft pads trace the girl's soft outline. Each inch covered sent small shivers along her body, his own lips curling into a smirk as her grinding came to a halt.

"You know," he started, slipping his fingers into the tight fitting cloth around her chest, his warm fingers pressing gently against her back, "this brings up a pretty big problem," he concluded, feeling the shirt squeezing down on his hand, pressing it further against her soft skin.

"I… know…" she said, her voice strained as she tried to ignore the pleasant feelings seemingly filling her entire frame. The warmth emanating from the location where their hips grinded together, and his almost burning fingers against her back each held their own unique pleasures that she was enjoying thoroughly.

"So, what are we going to do about it? I mean, this could affect the whole group," he said, his eyes glazing over a bit as he slid the top upwards, the material catching on her underarms as her undercloth came into view. Beneath the thin white fabric, he could see the dark tone of her nipples, the nubs of flesh pressing harshly against their constraint.

"I'm open to… um, suggestions if you've got any, uh, ideas," she said, sighing as his strong hands rubbed against her barely covered breasts, her eyes closed against the pleasure surging through her body.

"You say that like this is all my fault," he said somewhat sarcastically, catching the nubs between his fingers, giving them a light pinch through the white fabric. The girl yelped a bit at the sudden action, her voice carrying more than she might have liked as her back arched a bit in response.

"W-well, I'm the one in the worst position here," she said, her voice glazed with a growing lust as her hands worked their way under his surprisingly fine tunic, feeling his heart's beating speed up beneath her touch. Slowly, almost tortuously, she pulled it open, revealing his well toned muscles to her gaze.

The two teens locked eyes, each daring the other to take it a step further. Suki's shirt rolled up above her chest, as Zuko's crimson shirt lay open, the dark material clashing with the slightly brighter tone of the silken sheet. Reaching up, the scarred teen placed his hands on either side of her face, pulling her lips down towards his for another passionate kiss.

Teenage hormones kicked into overdrive, two sets of lips drawn together into one, the room filling with the soft sounds of sensuality. Girlish moans joined with masculine groans, their bodies trying with each movement to find more closeness to the other. So lost were they in their own world, that they didn't remember that the door had remained open.

Having heard one of Suki's few passionate shrieks, Aang had hastened from his perch on Appa's tail, his natural defensive instincts kicking into place. Rushing towards where he had heard the sound, he let his covered feet sound against the wooden floor, the thumping sound bounding off of the walls.

As he made his way through the corridors of the beach house, he listened intently as a different kind of sound rang in his ears. Looking down the hall, he realized that the sound was coming from Zuko's room. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he slowed down, his body naturally relaxing as he assumed the pair were engaged in some sort of contest.

But as he entered the large room, his eyes widened at the sight that greeted him. In the center of the bed lay Zuko, his dark red tunic opened on either side of his body, with Suki's legs placed on either side of him. Her shirt was barely visible, the crimson band of cloth bunched into a single line across her back. Being the kid he still was, Aang wasn't exactly sure of what to make of the sight before him.

"Zuko? Suki? What are you guys doing?" he asked innocently enough, the pair freezing as they turned their gazes towards the bald kid. Soon enough the images clicked into place, and he felt a surge of embarrassment and surprise. "Ah, I guess you're busy, I'll just check back later," he muttered, laughing nervously as he tried to back out of the room.

"Looks like we're screwed," Zuko said, his eyes focusing on Suki as the Avatar tried to make a quick escape. Suki nearly chuckled at his particular choice of words, watching as Zuko rolled his eyes at the notion as well. "You know what I mean," he cautioned, fastening his tunic around his body as the younger girl pulled her shirt back down over her chest.

"Yeah, but you have to admit, that was an… interesting choice of words, Zuko," she joked, sharing a smile with the young Prince as he turned towards the door.

"We'll laugh about it later, but for now we have to talk to Aang," Zuko said, earning no argument from the young girl. He made a mental note to start making sure his door was closed at all times, especially when Suki was around.

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**Aang is probably the best person to catch them in the act, since he's innocent enough to not really understand all of it, but still allow for some light hearted comedic moments. So, next time the two in question fess up to the head of the group, and it all heads off from there. Also, the Sokka vs. Suki will probably be in two chapters or so, since I know some of you have been looking forward to that. Also, this is where I will want some input from the readers. I like to have happy endings all around whenever possible. Since this is a Zuko x Suki story, that means that Sokka is left on his own to some degree. So, I am interested in which pairing you would be most interested to see: Tokka (Toph x Sokka), Yukka (Yue x Sokka), or Ty Lokka (Ty Lee x Sokka). I am totally open to suggestion on this one, so thoughts welcome. Until next time, faithful readers.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 08: Trouble Brewing**

**Rating: K**

**Now we get to the melodramatic chapters of this story. Zuko and Suki sort of explain themselves to Aang, and prepare for the time to explain the matter to Sokka. Not enough Suki and Zuko in this chapter for my taste, and it only gets worse next chapter. But after that it's almost all Zuko anf Suki sweetness. Just have to get past the requisite angst and stuff. I usually hate this kind of content, but it's pretty much necessary given the nature of this story, unfortunately. Anyway, not totally pleased with this one, but hope you manage to enjoy it anyway.

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As he ran down the fancy corridors of the Fire Nation Royal beach house, Aang felt his nervousness and innocent shyness over the matter fade, the face of his best friend entering his mind. The prospect of Sokka finding out about the matter gave Aang a very bitter taste in the pit of his stomach, the shyness transfiguring itself into a feeling of disgust and disappointment with the older teens. All sorts of insulting names came to mind that he could use against them, but he would never utter such words.

Gradually his pace slowed a bit, his body shaking with anger at the sight he had witnessed. A thousand questions seemed to swarm over him at once, like how long had it been going on, did any of the others know about it, and why they had chosen to do such a disgraceful thing.

"Aang!" Suki shouted, cupping her hands in front of her mouth in a simplistic attempt to amplify the volume of her voice. The bald kid's ears perked up a bit, his pace slowing to a stop as they reached the entrance to the large courtyard. Zuko and Suki both winced a bit as they entered the heavy sunlight, not realizing how long they had spent indoors that day.

Coming to a stop near the center of the large clearing, the young air bender hung his head in something like sadness, or disappointment. Turning slowly towards the older teens, his grey eyes told them all they needed to know about how he felt regarding what he had stumbled upon in his innocence.

Suki felt herself shrink back from it just a bit, her chest hollowing out at the reproachful look the surprisingly wise younger boy managed to give her. It was not something she was used to, disappointing those closest to her. She liked to think that she was strong willed, and smart, able to make the right decisions. But to see the look of disappointment in the young boy's eyes made her feel unbelievably bad.

But Zuko did not wince or shrink from the look. Maybe he was strong enough to withstand it, or too weak to even regard it with anything approaching surprise. He did know that it was a look he had seen many times. All through the Earth Kingdom, a different person masquerading in his body had earned it from many a person, stranger and relative alike.

It reminded him so strongly of the look of the Earth Kingdom girl, Song, who he had caught only a glimpse of as he stole her ostrich horse. A short time later, after saving a small village from "soldiers" turned bandits, only to be reviled for his native element. His mind slipped to all the people he had hurt, his thoughts finally resting on his uncle.

The man who had been much more a father to him than his own, who had been so disappointed by the teen's choice below Ba Sing Se. Zuko's jaw clenched a bit at the thought, before he looked into the young bender's eyes. Reaching to his side, he gave Suki's soft hand a tight squeeze.

Looking to his right, he smiled reassuringly at the girl, watching as her remorseful look slowly shifted to one of acceptance, before squeezing his hand back. Aang watched the short, wordless display with some curiosity, his brow raising quizzically at the seemingly strange communication between the two.

"Listen, Aang. This situation is a little complicated," Zuko began his explanation, making use of one of his favorite words. The word that seemed to describe him and his situation almost perfectly, even now that he had joined the side of good.

"Complicated? It doesn't seem that complicated to me," Aang shot back, a surprising venom coating his words as he turned from one teen to another. "Looked like you were going behind Sokka's back. I thought he was your friend?" he said to both of them at once, his voice rising in volume as he spoke.

"He is. It's just, we," Suki tried to explain, finding herself unable to put voice to the words she needed to find. She looked somewhat helplessly at Zuko, hoping that he would have more success at explaining the situation at hand.

The young fire bender looked directly into Aang's cool grey eyes, his own golden spheres burning with a near white hot intensity. Thinking for a moment, he tried to find the words to speak to the younger boy, without letting his natural indignation catch hold of him.

"Look, Aang. I know it seems bad that we were doing that behind Sokka's back, but that's really none of your business!" he veritably sneered to the young boy, earning surprised gasps from the other two present. His nostrils flared as he felt himself losing the battle against his inner anger, unable to fully hold back as the kid tried sticking his nose into other people's business.

"I thought you were trying to do the right thing? And how is that the right thing?" Aang shot back, feeling his own childish defenses kick in, the words flowing freely with no thought given to them or how they were spoken. For a moment, the two stared intensely at one another, and Suki thought briefly that they would come to blows over the subject.

But after a minute of intense staring, Zuko took a deep calming breath into himself, calming down as his eyes fell closed for a moment. Aang likewise calmed himself, settling his gaze on the stone floor at his feet. He idly glanced at the small lines marking the individual stone tiles gracing the floor, his eyes mentally tracing the thin crevices.

"Aang, I didn't mean to yell, but it really is none of your business," Zuko said, a hint of coldness at the end of his statement. The younger boy nodded in almost defeat, the heartache he felt for his friend apparent on his young face.

"I know that, it's just that Sokka is my best friend, and I know this will kill him," Aang said, collapsing into a sitting position, his arms wrapping themselves tightly around his legs, the knees pulled up towards his chest.

"I know. And I didn't really mean for this to happen," Zuko said, taking a seat in front of the younger boy, his legs crossed beneath his body as Suki sat to his right. Aang chanced a look at the pair of older teens, gazing into their eyes for some hint of their true intentions, looking for a hint that they were just messing around.

"How could you, Suki? I thought you loved him?" Aang asked, the coldness warming only a bit as he caught sight of the flaring emotion in the girl's eyes, rising to nearly match that of the Fire Prince. The auburn haired beauty stopped for a moment, her fingers lightly tracing small circles on the smoothed out stone as she thought.

"I thought so, too. But…" she paused again, her bluish green eyes shifting to the side a bit, smiling as Zuko nodded his head in understanding. "Things just kind of happen sometimes, you know? I mean, I still like Sokka, but I don't love him. I think… I love Zuko," she said, a light blush staining her cheeks as she responded.

Aang's eyes widened in surprise, not having expected such a strong comment from the girl. One look at Zuko's face seemed to show the young boy that he felt the same way, a shared smile etching itself across both their faces at the same time. The tattooed boy found it hard to maintain his anger at the situation given their responses, and how genuinely they seemed to feel it. But he wanted to make sure of the matter.

"Do you feel the same way, Zuko?" he asked, still holding out some small hope that Zuko would affirm the negative, and the matter would come to an, admittedly, sticky end, but an end nonetheless. But his hopes were dashed as the young man smiled warmly, his eyes alight with a happiness he wasn't sure the older bender had been capable of.

"Yeah, I think I do," he said, his smile faltering as the matter landed squarely in the hands of the younger boy. He knew, as Suki did, that if Aang had trouble accepting the matter, then things could get more dicey than they already were. Aang stretched his legs out in front of him, his feet nearly tapping the older bender's legs as he considered the matter.

On one hand, he knew that the news would devastate Sokka, to learn that his girlfriend had decided that she loved the man who had once been the enemy of their entire group. But he had a hard time arguing against the notion that the two seemed genuinely happy with one another, a smile tugging almost painfully at his lips at the thought.

"Alright. I admit, it's none of my business, but I have to know something. How long has this been going on?" he asked, eyes darting from one teen to the other, waiting for a response from one among the pair.

"Hmm. I don't know, really. I guess just today, but I think it started during our sparring sessions," Suki admitted, smiling a bit nervously at how silly it must have sounded, to equate sparring with the start of a romantic relationship.

"Sparring? You're kidding," the boy said, not exactly sure of what to make of that particular statement. The two nodded in unison, earning a slightly confused muffle from the younger kid, his mind wanting to just chalk it up as teenagers being really confusing.

"Yeah. But, after we sparred, we would always just sort of talk. Not really about anything in particular, just talk in general," Zuko added, remembering the times they had simply laid on the cool beach, or the small bluff overlooking the beach as they relaxed from their sparring sessions.

"And you two just, what, decided you were in love?" the skilled air bender asked, finding it harder to suppress the smile tugging at his lips despite his sympathy for his friend from the Southern Water Tribe.

"I wouldn't put it quite like that, but, yeah I guess," Suki answered, a short fit of giggles escaping from her ruby lips at the thought. Zuko chuckled softly himself at the notion, realizing how silly the whole thing might have sounded.

"Well, like I said, it's none of my business. But, you have to tell Sokka as soon as he gets back. I don't want you guys to be sneaking around and stuff," Aang said, clasping his hands around those of the teens in front of him, a silent wish for happiness echoing in his mind.

"Thanks, Aang. And I wouldn't worry about Sokka too much," Zuko said, a further confused look on the face of the Avatar at the scarred teen's statement.

"What do you mean? How would you feel if your girlfriend cheated on you?" Aang asked, his limited understanding of the complexities of relationships including that extremely simple fact at the least.

"Let's just say that I don't think he'll be alone for too long after this," Zuko said, earning a small chuckle from the girl at his side. Aang's confusion only seemed to grow with the curious statement, his brows knitting together tightly as he tried to think through what Zuko seemed to be implying.

"He's always had a way with the ladies," Suki said, thinking back to the times that Sokka had seemed so smooth and caring, but with the natural goofy charm that he seemed to have crafted into an essential part of his personality.

"Even among Fire Nation girls," Zuko added, Aang scratching his head a bit at the mention of the enemy nation.

"What the heck are you talking about? I hope you don't mean… Azula?" Aang asked, horrified even to speak the name of the evil Princess. Blinking a few times in surprise, Zuko and Suki then looked to one another, before bursting into a fit of seemingly inappropriate laughter at the matter. Aang's face glowed red as he got the feeling they were laughing at something he had said, Zuko placing a hand in front of the boy's face for pause.

"Ah, of course not. That would be completely horrifying," Zuko said, trying to imagine his cruel, twisted sister with the goofy, carefree boy from the Water Tribe. "No, I was talking about Ty Lee," he finished, suppressing a shudder as he imagined the mere prospect of calling the tanned boy his brother in law.

"Ty Lee? That really happy girl that is always hanging around with your sister?"

"Yeah, that's the one. She told me once that she thought Sokka was really cute, so I'm sure she'll be excited to learn that he's not seeing anyone," Zuko said, smiling at the notion of finding happiness for two of his close friends. Aang's face seemed to brighten up a bit with the thought as well, figuring that the perky, acrobatic girl might be good for Sokka.

"But do you really think it'll work?" Suki asked, concerned over the prospects of trying to get the two together without really talking to either about it.

"Well, Ty Lee is a huge flirt, and Sokka seems like a real lady killer himself, so it should be pretty much perfect," Zuko reasoned simplistically, shrugging as he couldn't find any reason that it wouldn't work out. Looking to his side, he and Suki shared a sly grin as they had a feeling they weren't alone, the looks seemingly confusing the young Avatar all the more.

"I guess that makes sense, but can you think of anyone else that might be interested?" Suki asked, being sure to allow her voice to reach to the person eavesdropping on the conversation.

"I don't know. What do you think, Toph?" Zuko said, Aang's head whipping around at the mention of the blind earth bender. Clicking her tongue at being discovered, the girl removed herself from her perch behind the small boulder at the farthest end.

"Tch, what the heck are you guys talking about?" the girl asked, her raven hair falling lazily in front of her sightless eyes. Walking across the heavy stone floor of the courtyard, the girl dug in her ear, flicking a small drop of residue from her fingertip as she sat down next to Aang.

"Something tells me this is good news for you, too," Zuko said, smirking at the embarrassed flush that found its way across the blind girl's pale features.

"What are you talking about? Why would it matter to me?" she asked, turning her face away from the pair of older teens. Zuko rolled his eyes a bit at how difficult the girl could act at times, and how it might eventually cost her if she couldn't be more open about how she felt regarding certain things.

"Oh, come on Toph, Suki told me all about what happened at the Serpent's Pass," he said simply, gasps of surprise sounding from both girls as their respective eyes set on him.

"Hey, that was a secret," Suki whispered, a flurry of anger and a little fear in her voice as she whispered in the older boy's ear. He simply looked to the side, smiling playfully to the short haired beauty.

"Well, it wouldn't be good if she just kept it bottled up, would it?" he said, turning his gaze back to the girl in question. The usually feisty, almost explosive Toph simply sat silently, and he could almost see the glow of embarrassment on her face.

"What are you guys talking about? Toph, do you… like Sokka?" Aang asked, his direct question earning him a hard punch to the arm from the younger girl.

"No. Of course not," she said, her voice softening a bit as she turned away from the assembled trio, jet black hair hanging loosely in her face. Aang rubbed the sore spot on his arm, wondering what the girl had gotten so upset about.

"Look, Toph. He's kind of slow sometimes, so you might have to make the first move. I can't promise that it'll work out, but you have to try. If you decide to, just ask and I'll help out," Zuko said, dusting off his pants as he pulled himself to his feet. As he walked past the girl, he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and just for a moment, he thought he caught a smile on her soft features.

A look that signified trouble for someone, most likely. "Thanks, Sparky. You're an alright guy," she said, not offering him a straight forward compliment, instead opting for her own sort of roundabout niceness.

"And you're pretty alright yourself. But for now, I'm going to soak on the beach for a while," he said, waving his hand dismissively behind him as he headed down to the beach, leaving the two girls and the Avatar on their own for the time being. Toph lay back against the warm stone, her mind filled with thoughts of a certain boy from the Water Tribe.

"I think I'll take the chance to bathe. I never got a chance last night, after all," Suki said, excusing herself from the clearing, her feet shuffling quickly to eliminate any chance that someone else got to the luxurious bath room before her. As the two teens went in entirelty opposite directions, Aang found himself feeling a bit confused.

"Toph, can I ask you something?"

"I don't know. _Can_ you?" the girl said back, chuckling a bit at her simple wit.

"When you like someone, don't you want to spend a lot of time together, like never wanting to be apart?" he asked, pondering how much he enjoyed being around Katara, and how their time together never seemed enough.

"I don't know, but if that's the case, then I don't think I've ever liked someone. I think it's more about enjoying the time that you do get together," she responded, knowing what Aang was getting at. "But, those two seem to get it. They're comfortable enough with each other, that they can be comfortable apart as well," she shrugged, not quite getting it herself, but figuring that to be close enough to the reality.

"Relationships are complicated," Aang sighed, realizing how much he still had to learn about the matters of the heart.

"Seems that way. Anyway, things are about to get pretty interesting," Toph said, her natural mischievousness taking over as she felt a familiar pair of footsteps approaching the cozy courtyard, one distinctly heavier than usual.

"Hey guys," Katara said pleasantly, her arms held in front of her body, holding a pair of baskets filled with food supplies. Vegetables, fruits and some bread, all the items looking quite appetizing to the young air bender.

"Oh, hi Katara," Aang said, more nervously than he had intended. All the talk about relationships and who likes who had gotten him to thinking more heavily about the young water bender, and just how much he cared for her. Seeing her smile made him feel a bit warm inside, not only from the Sun overhead.

"Ugh, where the heck is Zuko? Someone could help me out a little here," Sokka complained, his voice nearly muffled by the large mass of items gathered in his arms, obscuring his features from view.

"Sokka? What is all that stuff?" Aang asked, a bit of nervousness in his voice at the mention of the fire bender. Katara huffed a bit as she hurriedly made her way into the house, intent on getting a relaxing bath after putting up with her idiotic brother.

"Ah, just a few essential supplies," he muttered, dropping the heavy load squarely onto the large stone slab. Leaning backwards, the young man rubbed the ache from his back, before moving onto his arms. Shaking out his fingers, he then set in front of the massive pile of items, from a compass to some kinds of books, each looking far from essential.

"Umm, it certainly looks, uh, important," Aang said, picking up a small kite from the pile, casting the blue and red striped paper against the sunlight. "But, at least you remembered to get some food," he added, leaning back on his hands as he set the kite back against the ground.

"Of course. You didn't expect me to let us starve, did you?" Sokka said proudly, pulling a large mass of meat from his pile, his mouth dripping saliva at the simple look of the large chunk of meat. Aang felt an uneasiness in the pit of his stomach at the thought of what creature that meat might have belonged to, but had long since gotten used to Sokka's carnivorous habits.

"Ah, Sokka, you were looking for Zuko, right?" Toph interrupted his daydreams about the delicious smell of cooked meat, drawing his attention towards her. Aang felt a sense of dread pass over him as he tried to catch onto what Toph was playing at.

"Not really, it just would have been useful if he had been here to help me carry some of this stuff," Sokka mumbled, feeling the intense ache in his shoulders and arms from carrying the heavy load all the way from town.

"Well, then I guess he was the one that had something to talk to you about. He headed down to the beach a few minutes ago, so you might want to see what that's about," she said, barely stifling the chuckle that threatened to escape her lips as she imagined the two older boys going at it again.

"Ugh, this better be good," Sokka complained, grudgingly getting to his feet before stalking slowly down the trail towards the beach. Aang leaned in closer to the younger girl, panic etched on his voice.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked, his voice grating gently against her ears as she simply brushed her feet against the warm stone surface.

"I'm sure it'll be fine. I also don't want to deal with them sneaking around, so they should just get it out of the way quickly, don't you think?" she asked, Aang seeing right through the girl's motives. He did want the matter ended quickly, but pushing the matter could be problematic.

"I hope you're right, Toph," he said, casting an uneasy eye down towards the beach, worried about how Sokka would react to the news.

"I know I am. Besides, Zuko can take care of himself," she said, Aang breathing a bit easier at that . He knew that Zuko was experienced with all kinds of situations, and could probably handle Sokka if it came to blows, especially with the Water Tribe boy clearly worn out from carrying his heavy load of "supplies".

For now, he would just have to trust that things wouldn't get too out of hand.

* * *

**Trouble definitely coming between Sokka and Zuko. But next time will be the Sokka vs. Suki angle that some of you have been looking forward to. How will that come about, you might be wondering? Just have to wait and see. As I said in the beginning note, this marks the beginning of the melodrama, that will run for 2 or 3 chapters, then give way to some sweet Zuko x Suki fluff. So far, fan votes are for Ty Lokka, so that's how it's leaning, but still time to make the decision.**

**Also, an update on my plans regarding the story. I will be taking a couple of days off from this story to write a pair of oneshots. One will be a simple, almost storyless, cliched piece of smutty Suki x Zuko action. Just have to write it for some relaxation. The second will be much more light hearted, dealin with the possible ramifications of the pair of outsiders and how they relate trying to integrate into the tight knit group. Hope you look forward to that, loyal readers. Until next time.  
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	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 09: Frayed Edges**

**Rating: T (to be safe; a bit of blood here)**

**Chapter 09 of my Zuki story. I am really nervous about this one, because it is my first real attempt (as far as I can tell) at the teen angst that marks this series, so I am worried that I might have put some of the gang in OOC territory. I will, as usual, leave it to the good readers to make that decision, and let me now how to fix it. Anyway, this chapter also kicks off the Suki vs Sokka portion of the story, to be concluded in the next installment. Enjoy the melodrama good readers.

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"Stupid Zuko. Thinks just because he's the stupid prince of the stupid Fire Nation he can just order people around," Sokka grumbled as he trudged down the path, rubbing his aching arms as he walked. His lips twisted into a frustrated, annoyed frown as he made his way towards the beach. The scent of salty air calmed him a bit, a steady reminder of his time at sea.

The large bison sailing through the air, his sister and best friend perched on the large saddle as they argued over almost every important decision that needed to be made. Running from the evil Fire Nation, making plans to save the world from their tyranny. An angry jerk with an ugly ponytail chasing them in his metallic ship, the very image of persistence and almost confused rage.

Before he realized it, Sokka had made his way absent mindedly to the ocean's edge, its foamy tide lapping at his feet soaking through his leather boots. Leaping backwards, he felt a groan escape his lips at the wet, squishing effect present in the soles of his animal skin foot coverings, hoping they were not ruined after being soaked by seawater.

Pulling the boots from his feet, he set them on the warm sand, hoping they would not take too long to dry. The separate grains of sand ran between his toes as he cast his gaze back towards the cozy Royal Beach House, plans for getting back at Toph for sending him on a seemingly pointless errand burning in his mind.

Wondering if he would be able to count Zuko into his coming prank, Sokka scanned the beach carefully, looking for any signs that the girl had not just been yanking his chain as she did on a great number of occasions. He had to admit to himself that being the butt of someone else's jokes was not nearly as fun as making the jokes himself.

His mind stopping him from going into a mental debate on the merits of his current personality type, he squinted his eyes against the steadily standing Sun. Off in the distance he saw a small patch of raised sand, a single figure resting prone on the makeshift bed. His first thought was that it could be Zuko, relaxing on the beach and soaking up some rays.

But the thought was almost immediately discarded. To Sokka, the words 'Zuko' and 'relaxing' did not ever belong in the same thought. Presented with a mystery then, he made his way towards the seemingly sleeping figure. Aang and Toph had greeted him as he had returned from the market, with Katara having opted for a bath upon their return. That left only two possibilities.

Snatching the more pleasing of the two possibilities, Sokka began to hurry his pace towards the figure, his mind alight with the prospect of locking lips with the beautiful girl who had taken up a most special place in his heart. A place still held partially by the mortal girl who had become the moon spirit.

"Suki!" he shouted, tossing himself at the figure with a reckless abandon that only Sokka among their group could manage. His eyes fell closed as his lips puckered, anticipating the sweet embrace of the ruby colored kiss of the young Kyoshi girl. But as his lips came into contact with the figure sleeping on the beach, his brows furrowed at the unfamiliar feeling of the skin that greeted his lips.

A cold chill passed through his body at a pair of potential outcomes. One, the simple realization that he had not correctly deduced the identity of the figure on the beach, and had made a huge mistake. The second prospect, which he found only slightly more mortifying, was that the person in question would snap like a twig and incinerate him where he stood.

Slowly letting his eyes creak open, he backed away quickly as the fire bender pulled into a sitting position, eyes narrowed as he stared at the young Water Tribe warrior. The familiar dread that once accompanied a run-in with the angry Prince crept into Sokka's mind, a premonition that his young life of excitement and adventure and heroism was about to come to a crispy ending.

"Well, it's nice to see you too, Sokka," Zuko joked, the words sending a sense of surprise through the younger boy's body. Opening his eyes, he watched as the young Fire Nation royal let his feet land on the large expanse of sand, his toes pressing into the loose collection of near microscopic rock particles.

"Ah, Zuko, uh, that's not, what I meant," Sokka stuttered, unsettled by the oddly calm expression on the young fire bender's face. He had expected at the least some yelling, or some veiled (or direct) threats on his life. But Zuko was almost… smiling, a thought that creeped Sokka out even more.

"Well, I kind of figured that when you yelled 'Suki'," Zuko prodded, earning a light face palm from the younger boy. Sokka groaned for his own ignorance, having made a fool out of himself so completely. "So, what is it that you want?" the scarred young man asked, leaning backwards at the waist as he stood, rubbing the light soreness from his back before standing upright in front of the darker boy.

"Ah, well, Toph said you had something you wanted to tell me," Sokka said, feeling a sense of relief pass over him as Zuko was seemingly not going to kill him for accidentally kissing the boy on the cheek.

"Toph said that? But, what would I- oh…" he said, his voice trailing off as he caught onto what he was getting at. Taking a deep breath, he reminded himself to be sure and get Toph back for putting him so on the spot. Looking at the Water Tribe warrior, Zuko felt a certain sense of uncertainty, a nervousness at what he had to say.

"You feeling alright? You look kind of pale all of a sudden," Sokka said, his right brow quirked upward in friendly concern for the older boy. Muttering that he was alright, Zuko instinctively made his way around the small bunch of sand, glad he had wasted the little bit of time it had taken to gather it.

"Oh, yeah, I'm uh, fine. It's just, I have something I need to tell you," he said, nervousness grasping him entirely as he fumbled for the words he would need to tell the younger boy. He wondered if he could really tell him such a harsh truth, that he was taking his girlfriend.

**********

Gathering her bathing supplies, Katara felt a light airiness about her, an almost childlike excitement to bathe in the luxurious bathhouse of the royal house. It was so different from all her time traveling with Aang and Sokka, bathing in streams or not at all. Now she could relax in the hot water, could let the steam wash over her, clearing the stress from any daily activity with ease.

Her footsteps were light, her face stretched in a wide smile as she thought of the luxurious bath, intricate carvings etched all around the large room. Her supplied bumped around as she walked, her arms loosening their hold on each item as she approached the bathroom. A crushing sense of loss as she noticed a faint trickle of steam from within the room, accompanied by a heavy sigh that mimicked the one she had anticipated making herself.

"Suki? Is that you?" Katara asked oddly nervously, listening to the gentle swishing of water as the person in the bath room moved. A gentle padding of wet feet on cool tile sounded in her ears, mind racing a bit as she imagined the even, steady movements of the older girl.

"Ah, sorry Katara, it's just been a while since I took a bath," Suki said as she slid the door open, a thick red towel draped over her body, obscuring a view of her nearly flawless body from Katara's eyes.

"No, I didn't realize anyone else was in here, I can just wait," she said, bowing gently towards the older girl, her heart sinking a bit at the prospect of having to trudge back to her room just to wait for the bath to open up. But before she could turn away, she felt a soft hand grip her forearm, holding her in place.

"Don't be silly. We're both girls, and it's plenty big enough," Suki said, her blue green eyes closed as she nodded her head back into the room. Katara thought about arguing, before the relaxing puffs of steam washed over her, eliciting a barely audible sigh from her tanned lips.

"Well, we _are_ both girls, and it _is_ a pretty spacious bath," Katara said weakly, her eyes darting over the older girl's shoulders, staring at the white mass of mist behind her as it seeped out around the slender figure. "Oh, what the heck," she said, following Suki back into the bath room, the door clicking shut to hold the remainder of relaxing steam within the tiled walls.

Removing the blue garb of the Water Tribe, Katara slid into the heated water, her body relaxing as the water rose above her breasts. A heavy sigh of relief passed from her lips at the soothing heat, her eyes falling closed as she let the water do its job.

"Yeah, this place is pretty nice," Suki said, her back against the wall of the bath near Katara, her legs stretched out lazily in front of her. The dark red and black tile that lined the bath room seemed to dim amidst the white fog, the colors mingling lazily in the swirling haze of steam.

"I can't believe we get to just relax like this. There are definitely some perks to letting Zuko join the group," Katara said appreciatively, her soft brown hair floating near the surface of the slightly murky water.

"So, is that the only reason you let him join?" Suki asked, a strange sort of curiosity passing over her as she swished the water around with her fingers. The auburn haired girl watched the rippled run along the surface of the water before shifting her gaze to the young water bender.

"What do you mean?" Katara asked honestly, her brows quirking upwards as she felt a sense of confusion over the older girl's question. "We let him join so he could teach Aang fire bending. It's just a nice… perk that we get to stay at the Royal Beach House," Katara said, pushing her toes up above the surface of the water, wiggling the digits against the rippling water's surface.

"You mean you never noticed how good looking he is?" Suki asked, prodding the younger girl just a bit, smiling at the light blush that came across her face.

"Well, he's certainly got that, but his personality is all screwed up," Katara said, her mid shifting back to all the atrocious things he had done to try and catch Aang during their travels, the lengths he would have gone to.

"You're still holding all that against him aren't you?" Suki asked, dipping her body further into the water, the rippled reaching to just below her soft bluish eyes. The water bender thought for a moment, wondering exactly where Zuko fit into her thoughts at the moment.

"I don't know. I guess a little. He did so much to us in the past, it's hard to just trust him. I know he's trying, but there is just so much baggage there," she said, splashing a bit of water against her face, feeling the heated liquid run soothingly down her face. Once the last drops fell from her chin and nose, the girl sucked in a short breath, dunking her head beneath the surface of the small mass of water.

Holding her hair back as she surfaced again, she let the trickles of water flow down her back, rejoining its native source. The soft pattering of water on water filled her ears, and she sighed once again as she could almost feel all the tension wash away along with the minor collections of dirt and grime.

"I guess that makes sense," Suki said, likewise soaking her hair with the slightly soapy water, feeling the sense of clean fill her being with its relaxing sensations. "But he is really trying to make up for all that," she said, tilting her head upwards as she leaned against the now damp tile behind her. The single light in the center of the ceiling cast a gentle, relaxing light across the room, adequate for bathing in peace.

"Why are you so interested in Zuko, anyway? I mean, didn't he burn down your village?" Katara asked, lathering the shampoo through her waist length brown hair. She watched the older girl out of the corner of her eyes, the world framed by white lathered soap. Suki looked towards the water bender as she thought, her feet running against the bottom of the large bath.

"I don't know," she lied, shifting her eyes down towards the water around her, watching the ripples as their respective bodies moved, performing the separate tasks. Katara dunked her head once more beneath the water, the white lather dispersing into the now mist colored water. Suki simply lat the water wash over her, soothing lightly aching muscles and washing away some unseen grime on her body.

"There must be more to it. You've been spending a lot of time with him lately, so it's not that surprising that you've been talking. But there is such a thing as too much time," Katara warned, straightening out her hair amidst the slowly cooling water. Gone was the vapor of steam, leaving the room only with a dull reminder of the heat that had filled it earlier.

Suki looked directly at the younger girl, at the shimmer of doubt that shown in her piercing blue eyes. Eyes that looked so much like her brother's, but with more emotion, more sternness than Sokka could likely muster on his best day. Suki felt her stomach twirl in place, a lump forming in her throat. The young warrior girl never felt so weak as she did right there, all her warrior's training seemingly coming to nothing in front of the stinging glare that seemed to pierce right into her soul.

Turning away from the crystalline gaze, Suki slipped from the bath, the water swirling to fill the void left by her slender frame. She could almost feel the water bender's gaze still fixed on her, could almost feel heir gaze piercing into her. A swishing of water followed by a couple of violent splashes and the girl in question was right behind her.

"Oh my god, what the heck is that?" she asked, her fingers tracing the girl's neck, her nudity forgotten in the fog of surprise that struck her mind. The older girl's graceful neck held on it a dark splotch, almost a bruise but more reddish than the black and blue and yellow of the seepage of blood beneath the skin.

Eyes widening in surprise, Suki instinctively spun away from the younger girl, her reddish brown hair matting to her neck as she backed against the nearby wall. The cool tile against her bare skin sent a short shock through her body, replaced quickly by a sense of warmth at the surprised look on the water bender's face.

"Sorry about that. What were you saying?" she laughed a bit nervously, wondering what had caught Katara's attention so quickly.

"That mark on your neck," Katara said, hardening a bit of water in her hand, offering the quickly made mirror towards the young woman. Suki's eyes widened as she noticed the splotchy mark on her neck, her fingers instinctively rising to it. Tracing the outline, she thought back to what had likely caused it, a light blush staining her cheeks a little darker than before.

"Oh, this is nothing. It's just a little mark," she said, not wanting to go into all the details with the younger girl on how she had obtained the mark.

"Just a mark? Where did you get it? I mean, maybe you and Zuko are being too rough in your spars or something. Maybe you should dial it back a bit," Katara said, not quite sure on how sparring could leave such a singular mark on the girl's neck. It seemed like a bruise should be lower on the body and larger.

"Katara, I should probably tell you something," Suki began, pacing slowly towards the entrance to the bath room. Gathering her soft towel, she dabbed at the moisture still coating her body before wrapping the piece of cloth around her wet hair.

"What is it, Suki?" Katara asked, likewise removing the moisture from her own body with her deep blue towel. She felt a certain foreboding sense of curiosity pique in her mind, hoping that what Suki had to say would have nothing to do with their earlier discussion regarding the fugitive Prince of the Fire Nation.

Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, Suki slipped on her undergarments, pulling the crimson shirt tightly over her chest. Katara felt a momentary sense of mild jealousy as she realized that Suki's was more developed than her own, the jealousy passing as she chalked it up to their difference in ages.

Tightening the dark red sash around her waist, the young woman sucked in a deep breath, figuring it would be best to get her statement out in the open as quickly as possible and be done with it, leaving her to deal with the consequences instead of thinking over things too much.

"Actually, it's about Zuko," she began, locking eyes with the young water bender. She noticed the look of surprise and something approaching disgust as the information worked its way through the younger girl's mind. Brunette locks hung loosely over her shoulders, the girl's body bent over a bit as she pulled her own garments up along her tanned skin.

As the clothing took its usual place on her body, the girl stood upright, her clear blue eyes blinking a few times in surprise before nodding weakly. She had a definitely bad feeling she knew where it was going, but stayed positive that it was something else entirely.

"Well, you know I like Sokka a lot, right?"

"Yeah," Katara said, the glimmer of hope fading at those ominous words. Thoughts of her brother filled her mind, imagining the pained expression that had graced his face for so long at the loss of his first true love, the Water Princess, Yue.

"Ah, this is hard to say," Suki admitted, taking another deep breath into her body, her chest puffing out a bit with the sharp intake of life giving oxygen. "Well this morning I realized that I kind of fell in love with Zuko and that mark you saw on my neck was probably from when he kissed me," she blurted out, her words almost a single, long, run-on of a word.

It took a moment for the surprised teen to take in all the information, watching as Suki tried to catch her breath following the spurt of speech. Finally it all clicked into place, and she shot the warrior girl a withering look filled with all her surprise and disappointment and anger.

"You mean, you were cheating on my brother with _Zuko_?" Katara sneered, the emphasis on the Fire Prince's name giving Suki the impression that the choice of boy had been almost as bad as the act itself.

"Well, we didn't mean for that to happen it just kind of, happened," she said, catching the flare of anger in the bender's eyes, a sudden fear for her own safety flashing in her mind at the recollection of the large amount of water behind them.

"Just kind of happened? Suki, how could you?" Katara asked, her tone of indignation and outrage the kind that only Katara could manage. Suki felt herself being backed into a metaphorical corner, unable to form an adequate defense for her actions or the motivations behind them.

"Well, like I said it just kind of happened," she began again, trying to gather herself in front of the water bender's outrage. For a moment, she pictured Zuko's face, her pink toned lips pulling into a small smile at the thought of him. There's no way he would let her hear the end of it if she just caved in like she felt she was.

"Look, Katara. I like Sokka, and I feel bad about this, but you don't know Zuko like I do," she said, her body leaning forward a bit, causing the brunette to retreat a bit, surprised by the sudden outburst. "He made a lot of mistakes in the past, but can you tell me you're perfect? You've never made a decision that you regretted?" she shot, brows furrowing as she could almost feel herself channeling some of the fire bender's old anger.

"W-well, t-that's not…" Katara mumbled a bit, her mind reeling back to several mistakes she had made. Mistakes of judgment, mistakes in appraising situations and people's character. "Wait, that's not the point! The point is that you're going to break Sokka's heart. Do you know how much he loves you?" the bender shot back, her brows knitting together at how seemingly callous the older girl was being.

"Of course I know. You think I could be so blind? But I can't stay with someone I don't love, that wouldn't be fair to either of us," Suki said, her chest tightening as she imagined the pained look she might see on Sokka's face once he found out.

"Then how can you do this? How can you possible love Zuko of all people?"

"I told you, you don't know him like I do. You've never really given him a chance. All you see is the Prince of the Fire Nation. You've never really gotten to know Zuko," Suki said, the words flowing like burning water from her lips, scorching the air around her as she spoke.

"I thought I knew him. I thought he was honorable, and cared about his friends. But what kind of friend just takes his friend's girl?" Katara asked, finding herself attacking the boy who was not even present to defend himself, drawing on all her old rage at the teen in question.

"He does care. Zuko felt bad about it, that's why he suggested that me and Sokka start training together, so that we would get closer," Suki said, a skip of her heart pulsing at the genuinely selfless gesture he had offered to the pair. "But you don't care, do you? You just want a fire bending teacher for Aang, it doesn't even matter if it's Zuko or not," Suki spat, her words cutting deeply into the water bender.

"Zuko is the one who offered to teach Aang. I was against it from the beginning, because he's such a jerk and this is what happens!" Katara huffed, her chest heaving as she let the words flow out, thick and viscous like lava from a long dormant volcano. She couldn't believe that her supposed best friend and the teen so obsessed with honor would do something so sneaky, and break her brother's already fragile heart.

"And that should tell you something. That Zuko knew how much you guys probably hated him, but he gave up his home and everything he knew to come and help you," Suki said, sliding the door open as she exited the bathroom, the last remnants of steamy vapor escaping in a rush of wind.

Katara watched as the Kyoshi girl disappeared into the hallway of the royal beach house, leaving her to allow the negative thoughts to stew in her mind. She cared for her brother a great deal, and it had nearly killed her to see him so broken hearted after Yue had become the Moon Spirit, how helpless he had felt during the entire ordeal.

And now that he had just gotten over it, after rescuing the girl from prison, how did she repay his kindness? By breaking his heart. Katara's hands shook as they tightened into white hot fists, her mind twisting things into a more seedy reality than it might truly have been, imagining the two laughing and mocking her brother's honest feelings towards the girl.

"Unforgivable…" she muttered darkly to herself, slipping from the tiled bathroom. She had treated Suki like a sister, grateful to the girl for giving Sokka another chance at love. But she had chosen instead to be his torturer, breaking his heart yet again. Katara promised to herself that she would never forgive Zuko or Suki for hurting her brother.

As Suki steadily made her way out of the royal house, she felt an intense mixture of anger and grief. She knew in her mind that Katara was just acting out of concern and love for her brother, and was genuinely disappointed. But she had not said anything wrong either. It would not have been fair to stay with Sokka while her heart pulled her towards another.

Ignoring Toph and Aang's greetings, she made her way towards the beach, intent on finding some measure of relaxation on the wide open white beach. Her breathing grated uncomfortable against her ears, her blood pulsing heavily through her body as the sound of her beating heart joined the heavy breaths in agonizing her ears.

The trail to the beach couldn't have felt longer, each step an agony of emotions as they sent the thoughts swirling around her head. Her footsteps felt heavy, her body stiffened in anger and hurt after her argument with Katara. Blue water and white sand seemed to blur, the world looking hazy to her eyes as she looked ahead.

Wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand, she felt a small, sad chuckle escape her lips as she watched the warm, salty fluid drip down her skin into the sand at her feet. "What's wrong with me?" she asked to no one, her head tilting back a bit as she watched the blurred rolling of the tide towards the shore.

It was really the first time she had seen anyone genuinely angry at her, and it pained her a great deal to see it. That thought brought a sharp pain to her chest, imagining having to see such a look with each new person encountered, at each new town. She knew now, even in some small amount, what it was like for Zuko in the Earth Kingdom.

"Zuko… how do you do it?" she asked, a dark smile gracing her soft lips as she looked mindlessly out at the ocean. A blur of motion caught her from the corner of her eyes, drawing her sea blue gaze back down the beach. Squinting a bit, she watched a slender figure standing over a hunched over one. It looked almost like a fight… Her eyes widened as she remembered that Zuko had gone down to the beach when she had gone for a bath.

Her legs began to move on their own, worst case scenarios running through her mind. She feared that Zuko had been confronted by Sokka, and had been required to defend himself. Or that Sokka had gone over the edge and would do something he would regret. Even though she felt strong feelings for Zuko, Suki still wanted somehow to be a friend to Sokka, and she couldn't let him do something that would possibly scar him for life.

But as she approached the two, her feet slowed, her legs sticking heavily into the whitened sand of the beach. Sprawled on his knees sat Prince Zuko, the dark skinned Water Tribe boy standing almost menacingly over him. A small trail of blood ran down Zuko's face, between his eyes and down his nose, dripping from the tip.

Sokka stood darkly, his chest heaving from the exertion he had apparently placed against the young fire bender. "Come on, _Zuko_, fight back!" he shouted, the words catching Suki off guard. Surely Zuko wouldn't just take the younger boy's blows, would he?

"No… I won't… fight you…" he said, his hands resting uneasily on his legs, dark colored hair falling over his face. Suki felt her heart break a bit to see him, the usually strong, proud Prince of the Fire Nation huddled over in abject defeat, trying to offer some sense of relief to the younger boy.

"No…" she whispered, watching as Sokka wound up for another round, Zuko lifting his gaze towards her. Blood surrounded golden eyes caught her in their stare, a weak smile crossing his split lip as he saw her.

'_It's okay,_' he mouthed to her, his lips barely mimicking the words to her. As the angered warrior sent his fist hurtling towards its target, Suki's body moved instinctively, pushing off of the damp sand as she threw herself towards the young men. Darting between them, she grabbed his hand, pulling his arm down before twirling in place, the motion sending the young man a distance away.

She blinked back the tears as Zuko's body gave out, slumping painfully against her own, the crimson streaks ran down his face, mindlessly landing on her smooth skin. As Sokka pulled into a sitting position, Suki felt her anger at Katara pass through her mind, focusing on the young Water Tribe warrior.

"How could you?" she asked, not paying attention to the look of shock and hurt on the young man's face.

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**As I said, totally not entirely comfortable with how the drama went in this chapter, so let me know if I messed things up too greatly. Many thanks to a certain reviewer for letting me know about the characters. If I messed up again here, let me know (I might have tried to overcompensate for last time, so I'm curious). Also, a second note. I decided to push the story in this direction for now, with all the drama and stuff. But, eventually I will write a second ending to the story that is more lighthearted and (hopefully) funnier. Anyway, next time the drama concludes and we get back to some sweet Zuko x Suki moments. Until next time, good readers.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Irreconcilable **

**Rating: T (again, just to be safe)**

**Chapter 10 is here for all you good readers. This is definitely the hardest chapter of this I have done to date, indicated partially by the short length of it. Pretty much just the Suki vs. Sokka action I had promised, so hope it's not too bad. Hope you all enjoy it, and please tell me if I ruined any of the characters here.

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"S-Suki…?" Sokka asked, his voice cracking a bit with shifting emotions. The anger he had felt at the Prince vanished, slowly changing to a feeling of loss, of bitter sadness lodging itself in the center of his chest. He watched dumbfounded as the auburn haired girl gently placed the injured Prince's head upon the soft sand of the beach, its white sand contrasting against his raven toned hair.

The young girl brushed a few strands of the dark colored locks from his face feeling the sticky blood coating her fingers. His face bruised and showing open cuts, his eyes stayed closed, worn out from his encounter with the angered Water Tribe warrior. Placing her hands on his chest, she felt the comforting sensation of his beating heart, the soft rise and fall of his chest as he rested.

Turning her sea blue eyes to the other teen, Suki watched his body tense up under her glare, his lips hanging loosely open as though he were searching for some words to say to her in this particular situation. Shifting in the sand, she gave the unconscious Prince a last glance before shooting to her feet. The grains of white sand crunched between her bare toes as she held the tanned boy in her sight.

"How could you do it, Sokka?" she asked, her brows knitting together in frustration and anger, wondering how he could have done such a thing. "Is it just because you thought he 'stole your girl' or something stupid like that?" she continued, watching the life slowly fill his crystalline eyes once more.

"So, I should just act all calm and say that I'm fine with it?" he shot back, his face flushing with an indignant anger, not thinking that he had been in the wrong in his actions towards the older teen. Pulling himself to his feet, he brushed the sand from his blue pants, watching the dry particles fall back into the endless sea of white surrounding him.

"Of course not. But that doesn't give you the right to just beat someone up. Especially if they're not even fighting back," she said, taking a few steps towards the young man. She kept her eyes locked on his, watching for any sign of movement from him.

"It's not my fault he felt like getting his butt kicked," Sokka sneered, a dark smirk crossing his face as he remembered clobbering the young man. He didn't care in that moment that the scarred jerk had not fought back. It would have satisfied him more to hear a word of regret, or to have heard that it was just some joke. The smirk dropped as he watched the young woman approach him, her fists tense at her waist.

"So, what, you think he was forcing himself on me or something, is that it?" she asked, stopping a short distance from the young man. Suki watched the subtle glistening of his muscles as the sweat he had built from wailing on Zuko caught the faint rays of sunlight from behind him.

"That's the only explanation I can think of," he answered, his mind in a sort of idling mode, not quite working as well as it should have. Truthfully, he simply did not want to believe the alternative, that the two shared a mutual connection. He watched the soft rustling of her reddish brown hair against the breeze, feeling an intense ache take its place in his chest.

"Is that so…?" she asked, feeling oddly insulted on Zuko's behalf at the inexperienced warrior's words. "You know, I'm just as much to blame as Zuko," she explained, her knuckles white as her fingers dug painfully into her palms.

"There's no way. He must have, like, brainwashed you or something," Sokka said, turning his head from the young girl, not wanting to watch the fire that burned behind her clear bluish green eyes.

"That's not the truth, and you know it. Sokka, I'm sorry that this hurts you, I really am. And I know Zuko is, too," Suki continued, letting her fingers loosen a bit, her hands falling gently at her sides as she tried to calm herself down.

"No you're not…" he said bitterly, his own muscles tensing as he felt the ache spread throughout his body. Like a deep cut, the pain just throbbed, reminding him of a familiar pain he had felt so many months ago.

"Yes I am. You're a great guy, Sokka. And I'm sure there're lots of girls out there who would love to be yours, but I love Zuko," Suki spoke honestly, letting the words simply flow from her pink tinted lips. She could see the devastated look in his eyes as the statement his home, and just for a moment she felt her determination waver. But as she looked down at his hands, she noticed the blood as it dripped onto the sand below, the blood of a fire bender.

"Shut up!" he shouted, surprising both of them a bit with the venomous sound of his voice. Two sets of blue eyes blinked, each teen wondering what Sokka was going to say next in his distraught state. "Just shut up…" he muttered, his voice lowering in volume as he listened to the unending rolling of the tides behind him.

"Sokka, I get that you're upset. But I think you should apologize to Zuko," she said, drawing a look of complete disbelief from the tanned teen.

"Are you crazy? Why the hell should I apologize to him? He's the one who took you from me," Sokka said in a moment of genuine hurt and anger, almost the entirety of his blame falling on the shoulders of the moody Prince.

"You don't get it, do you Sokka? It's just as much my fault as his. So, do you want to hit me too?" she asked, soft lips pulling into a stone serious frown. She watched his eyes widen at her challenge, his mind unable to fully comprehend what was happening. "Or would you rather hit a defenseless guy some more?" she asked, raising a single brow as the insult flushed from her lips.

Sokka watched the serious expression on the face of his apparently ex-girlfriend, wondering just how he had managed to change her opinion of him so drastically. She had been so excited to see him at the Boiling Rock, and now only a few days later she was telling him that she was in love with someone else. And Zuko on top of that.

"This is stupid," he said, muttering darkly as he turned to the side, figuring he had gotten enough of dealing with this problem for the moment. Blue eyes closed as he made his way past the young girl, not wanting to gaze at the face of the girl who had broken his heart so easily.

"Coward…" she mumbled, stopping the boy in his tracks. Wheeling around quickly, she sent a hard right towards the boy's face. "So, you're fine with beating up a helpless guy, but if it's a girl who's willing to fight back, you can't do it?" she said as he evaded her blow, his body leaning a bit to the right and back.

"Suki, what are you doing?" he asked, his already broken heart dropping even further as he deflected a heavy blow that had gone towards his stomach. His hands moved more stiffly than he might have liked, either through exhaustion or subconsciously taking it easy on the girl he had loved to intensely.

"You feel so hurt, why not take out some of that pain on someone who isn't just going to stand there like a punching bag?" she asked cynically, her narrow eyebrows drawing together as she swept her foot along the beach towards his vulnerable looking legs. As he evaded it, she dropped to the fallen knee, twirling in the sand as she sent the other leg sailing towards its target.

Sensing that he could be in some trouble if he did not go at it seriously, he sidestepped her leg sweep, dropping his right knee down towards the girl's stomach. A quick flash of crimson showed in his eyes as she pushed down with her hands, sending her light frame sailing easily through the air.

As soon as her feet were planted again in the loose, shifting sand, the young warrior surged ahead, clenched fist aimed right at the nose in the center of Sokka's face. His own brows came together in concentration as he deflected her first attack, struggling to match the ferocity and quickness of her attacks.

It reminded him too much of fighting Zuko, the thought of the scarred fire bender lighting his hatred once again. He imagined the pair of them together, lips locked as they struggled for "dominance" over the other. His chest began to heave more heavily in anger, his left arm deflecting a kick aimed for his gut. As the girl's crimson clad leg again pushed down towards the sand at her feet, her eyes widened as his right hand flew directly towards her chest.

Twisting out of the way, she caught his hip with her left hand. The slender digits on the right hand dug into the sand as she pushed off, spring boarding back to her feet so as to avoid giving Sokka any chance to counter her. Sokka winced a bit in pain, feeling a bruise forming atop the bone in the center of his body as he watched the girl ready for another attack.

His moves became clumsier as he let the anger take hold of him, her own moves not as graceful or precise as they might have been either. Both were fueled by an unbidden anger, Sokka's at the betrayal of his friend and lover, Suki by the cowardly way that Sokka had acted about the matter.

After only a few minutes, Suki could tell that her constant training with Zuko on the sandy surface had given her at least a mild advantage. Her footing was just a bit more sure than Sokka's, though he was making it up rather easily as he went. It still amazed her how quickly he could pick things up.

Leaping into the air, the girl brought her right heel down towards the young boy's head, watching his eyes widen as he was barely able to deflect the heavy heel drop with both arms, the boy's eyes narrowing a bit as he winced in pain. Sensing the best opening she would get, she dropped to her back, swinging her legs in wide, arching circles in a manner similar to one of Zuko's favored moves.

The quickness and strength caught Sokka off guard, the wolf tailed boy falling to his back side as Suki took opportunity and pounced atop the young man. Ocean blue eyes alight with anger at being thought of as some helpless doll, as well as discounted entirely as a warrior, Suki felt her breathing come in ragged bursts even as Sokka looked up at her with a look of fear and distinct hurt.

Her fist raised in the air, she was intent on inflicting at least some of the damage he had selfishly put on the fire bender, her lips quivering gently as tears began to fall from her soft eyes. A part of her was screaming for her to stop, to reconsider what she was doing. It was not his fault, it was hers after all.

Just as her fist began its descent towards the boy's hurt face, she felt the momentum cease entirely, a warm hand gripping her wrist in an almost painful grip. Looking to the side, she noticed the warm pools of gold, shimmering in the midday sunlight. Black hair hanging loosely over his eyes, he shook his head.

"No, Suki. It's alright. I hurt him, and I had to let him vent the frustration somehow," he said, his voice cracking just the tiniest bit with each word. Collapsing back onto her haunches, the girl watched as Sokka scooted away from her, his movements heavy and labored as he tried to regain his breath.

"Zuko… it's not alright. It's both of our fault, and he just took it out on you like that. I guess I just… lost it," she said, her eyes widening a bit as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, holding her body to his in the most soothing gesture he could manage given his social awkwardness.

A torrent of relief and grief mixed together, washing hastily over the girl. "Zuko, you can't just do things like that," she scolded, the words lacking in any malice as she wrapped her own arms around his body, letting his comforting warmth bring her fully back to herself.

"I know. I'm sorry," he said, gingerly bringing himself to his feet. Mirroring his movements, Suki similarly came to her feet, a slightly amused smile crossing her lips as she watched his body wobble a bit. Moving to his right, the girl draped his shoulder across her own, bracing the older boy as they headed back towards the Royal Beach House.

"You're an idiot, you know," she teased, giving his body a nice strength squeeze. He offered her a weak smile in return, the crimson fluid streaking lazily down his face as they walked. The flow slowed from what it had been, but left its distinct mark on his pale skin.

As they approached the ornately decorated house, Suki felt a short rush of panic as his body leaned more heavily against hers. Stopping at the short staircase, she leaned her head against his chest, sighing a bit of relief as she heard his breathing come in its usual steady rise and fall.

Entering the narrow corridors, she exchanged a brief look with Katara, looks of bitterness between them as the water bender made her way past the Kyoshi girl. The brunette made sure to bump the girl's shoulder in derision as she walked, Suki having to bite down on her lip to prevent herself from getting into another shouting match with the younger girl.

The girl instinctively clutched tighter at the warm body pressed against her, grateful for her strength earned during the intense training she underwent on a daily basis. Trudging through the fancy corridors of the royal house, she heard a light noise from outside, her eyes closing as she imagined what could be going on.

A warm smile crossed her lips as she entered Zuko's chamber, sighing in relief as she shifted his heavy frame from her now weary shoulders. His body stirred gently against the drawn silken sheets, the fabric rustling a bit as he settled into a more comfortable position. The girl watched his face calm down from the frantic mess it was, likely a result of the guilt he was no doubt feeling. Moving gently up his body, she placed a soft kiss upon his cheek before whispering into his good ear.

"It's not your fault, Zuko," she said gently, almost chuckling at the smile that came to his face with the simple phrase. Suki removed herself from the bed, heading towards where she hoped she could find some cloth to wipe the blood from his face at the very least.

As she rummaged through the various closets, Suki felt a pang of loss deep in her chest at the thought of what she had done. There was a very good chance that things between herself and the rest of the Avatar's group would never be the same. But as she produced a pair of white cloths, she realized that didn't matter. If they wouldn't accept her, then that was fine.

She had found someone she didn't mind going against the world for. After all, he would definitely do the same for her.

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**Ugh, the ending was such torture. Couldn't think of a good way to end it, so I just went with this one instead of worrying. Next time will be the sweet Zuki moment, and some aftermath of the whole ordeal. Also within the next couple of chapters, it will start picking up where the show would be here, and offer the alternate retellings of the matter. Suki is so much more fun to write than I had originally thought, so this pairing just keeps growing on me. Hopefully I kept her at least relatively IC here, so I will trust you all to let me know if I failed at that. Anyway, look forward to some fluff next time, faithful readers.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Easy Comfort**

**Rating: T**

**Here is chapter 11 for you fans' enjoyment. The first of a few chapters of fluffy sweetness between the two before we get to the part where I retell the ending of the show. Not much to say about it aside from that, so hope you enjoy the story.

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_Looking around the bustling Royal Palace City, Fire Lord Zuko made his way down the busy streets, offering his kind smile and gentle waves of greeting to the people. The Sun shone down busily on the young man, its heat being soaked up by the heavy robes of the Fire Lord. Crimson and black and gold all felt warm around his body, yet he pressed on._

_His mind was filled with an odd happiness, a sense of relief and certainty. He had helped to put a stop to the war that had ravaged the world, and he basked in the booming culture of the rebuilt Fire Nation. Worn and damaged buildings had been repaired, nearly sparkling under the daytime Sun all around him._

_But as he walked, he felt a cool chill begin to creep all around him. Golden eyes wandered instinctively, watching the milling of the peasants of the capital city. Their words were garbled, unintelligible, yet he could feel their derision and anger focusing on him._

_Each carefully spoken word added another layer of cold to his body, the robes providing no comfort from the increasing cold. His chest aching, he began to walk more quickly down the broad avenue, the voices growing louder all around him. Though he could not understand them, some part of him knew that the insulting tones and sneers were directed towards him. _

_Their insults stung without words, the brown and greens of the eyes of the townspeople gave way to piercing, icy blue. First dotting the bustling crowd, more and more of the innocent folk sported the chilling eyes. Faces began to mingle together, showing only formless frowns and looks of disgust as he broke into a run._

_Eyes continued darting around, watching as the villagers huddled closer together, whispering words of clear malice at his presence. _'This isn't how it's supposed to be_,' he thought to himself. Discarding the crimson robes, lined with golden flames about the chest, he dashed ahead, his heart pounding even as it shattered with the derision of his nation._

_As he approached the large, cold looking palace, the gates slammed shut, the guards taking up their positions at the outside of the large structure. Nerves jangling, he pounded mindlessly at the ebony toned wall, listening as his voice broke away, leaving him with no sound escaping from his lips._

_Turning to one of the guards, he trued to order him to open the gate, the laughs and jeers of the villagers still hanging hotly in his ears. Panic took him over as he could feel the cold piercing right through him, replacing all the flowing fire he felt from the Sun. His element seemed to forsake him, just as his people had done._

_What had he done to deserve this treatment? What could he have done to anger the entire world around him to such a degree? Gradually the cold crept into his chest, bringing him to his knees as he felt the blood begin to flow more slowly. Looking down helplessly, he spread his fingers wide, watching as the color changed from a creamy complexion to ice blue._

_A bitter frown crossed his face, feeling the haze of death pass over him. Golden eyes dimmed, lids falling loosely over the usually fiery orbs as the end approached with increasing speed. Zuko's body crumpled forward, his forehead resting on the still warm earth in front of the now fading palace gates._

_Bright gold and shimmering black gave way to discolored white, a beige similar to that of the purest bone. A crooked, disgusting looking gate rose in front of him, the bone dripping with murky crimson. Blood pooled at the base of the looming structure, streaming towards him. He watched as familiar faces mirrored themselves within the growing pool of red fluid._

_Faces that he knew, yet did not at the same time. A bald young man with an arrow tattoo on his forehead. A pair of siblings, wearing masks constructed of bitter hatred and malice, ice blue eyes speaking for their lips. And a blind girl with mint green eyes, her face alight with impossible mischief._

_He felt a sense of near relief wash over him, the release of a pressure placed upon him by some unknown entity. The weight of the world seemed to lift from his shoulders, and he watched as the bone framed gate open. Black mist poured from beyond, its sharp digit like appendages snaking menacingly forward._

_A life of struggle passed before his hazing over eyes, a life filled with hatred and mistrust, with deceit and manipulation. A father scarring his own son, before sending him on a supposedly fruitless errand. A sister who delighted in his torture, who seemed almost to gain sustenance from his suffering._

_A single tear ran down his marred cheek, an unexplained sense of guilt easing its way into his chest as the darkness crept up along his body. The cold deepened, his skin now a dark blue as the heart in his chest slowed its beating. He could feel the end very near, as the darkness squeezed against his chest._

_But then, a ray of impossibly bright sunshine broke through the darkness, engulfing the young man in its soothing warmth. The frozen blood began to melt, flowing through him with the brilliance of his element. Strength returned as the golden light flowed around him, almost like a comforting arm slung around him in compassion._

_Relief filled his mind as he felt a warmth press against his back, the golden brilliance bringing back the molten qualities to his golden eyes. Blue skin turned its native shade, the almost cream looking complexion returning as his heart began to beat strongly in his chest. _

'Zuko, it's alright,'_ a soft, eerily familiar voice echoed in his ears, the warmth wrapping tightly around him, holding him firmly in place. Soft silk ran across the back of his neck, smooth velvet brushing easily against his ear as the soothing voice brought him back from the brink. The bone constructed gate disappeared, now shifting to smoothed golden bars._

_Beyond he could actually see the warmth and rapture beyond, and he clasped his hand to the warmth wrapped around him. An impossible smile crossed his face as he turned his head, hoping to catch a glimpse of the source of the warmth that had rescued him._

Hard golden eyes opened weakly, the Sun's light passed on to its more pale brother, the cooling touch of the moon soothing on his oddly aching face. Turning his gaze around the room, he watched the moon's rays reflect off of the occasional piece of gold or well polished wood. _'How did I get here?'_ he thought lazily, his mind struggling to put pieces together.

Narrowing his eyes, the Fire Prince heard a slightly muffled sound, similar to the tone of voice one might use when talking in their sleep. Following the sound, he felt a smile grace his lips as he caught sight of the ruby lipped warrior. Glistening strawberries opened and closed gently, ocean blue eyes hidden behind soft eyelids.

Looking back down his body, he noticed her arms crossed easily against his chest, hands clasped together over his heart. Slender fingers clasped each other as the soft material of her clothing pressed against his bare back. Moving his own hand, he placed it lazily over hers, his mind making sense of at least one part of his dream.

The other hand he let run up towards her face, his fingers running through the rust colored hair as his thumb stroked her soft cheek. A light shudder passed through her body as he let his warm fingers linger upon her sweet skin, eliciting a small chuckle from the older boy.

His golden eyes closed once more, his ears listening carefully to what the girl was muttering in her sleep. His smile faded a bit as the memories of the day's activities passed over him, a sense of loss aching deep in his chest. The soft rubies glittered in the moonlight as she mumbled that it was not his fault, and that she was herself sorry. Zuko did not know what to make of her words, feeling the guilt creep further along his heart.

Slowly he allowed his hand to fall from her soft features, carrying with it the warmth and the smoothness of her body, the silkiness of her soft hair still tickling at his fingertips. He watched intently as her lips continued to move, occasionally picking out his name from her sleep addled speech.

Slowly working his way from her grip, he shifted his position so that he was leaned up against the headboard, its polished black tone feeling cool to his bare back. His face felt heavy, the motion of opening and closing his eyelids feeling more restricted and forced than usual. Letting the raven locks fall in front of his face, he felt the girl's body almost instinctively lean against him, a short sigh escaping her lips.

"Geez, how can you be so careless?" he asked, brushing the strands of reddish brown hair from her face, back behind her ears. The young Prince watched, almost transfixed as though through some magic, as the girl slept. The soft rise and fall of her chest sent a sense of calm through him, feeling its reassuring steadiness press against him gently.

A sad smile crossed his face as he placed a soft kiss to the top of her head, chuckling a bit dryly at the contented sigh that sounded from her lips. The guilt swelled a bit more as he thought about the position he had seemingly put both of them in. She had known the Avatar's group longer than he had, had been close friends with the original trio of companions, and how she was on the outs with her good friends.

All because of him. Because he had fallen in love with the intensely spirited girl, who was able to show her frustration and confidence all at once. Because he had been hypnotized by those deep blue eyes, that shone with the natural competitive spark of a warrior, while still holding something distinctly sweet and innocent.

Turning his eyes away from the girl, he looked mindlessly out the window, lazily staring at the prickles of light that dotted the darkness beyond the horizon. None were large or bright enough to offer their own light or add it in any measurable way to the light rays of the Moon, but it somehow still felt a relief to know that they were still there.

Her slender arm slung itself lazily around him, clutching his toned body closer to her own as she nestled her head further against his shoulder. The young man let his mind continue to wander, picturing an entire scene, a whole life if he were a different person. If he were not a member of the Fire Nation royalty, if he had never been banished and scarred for life. Would he have been able to just enjoy a simple life, find a girl to fall in love with, start a family with?

Would any of that be possible now? Tearing his eyes away from the impossibly clear night sky beyond the melted together sand particles, he watched the moon's glow dance against the ceiling, reflected light from the bits of carved and molded gold that dotted the room. Dots of light almost danced against the light brown wood above his head.

The warmth from the girl pressed against him only seemed to make the guilt hurt all the more, thinking that he had somehow caused the girl to be alienated from her friends. Instinctively he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding her even closer. Soft locks of hair brushed against his bare chest sending small ticklish shivers through his body.

Clarity in his mind, he thought back to his time aboard his small ship, only his uncle and the "loyal" crew of sailors for companionship. His uncle had always tried to get him to take part in the so-called music night, which he had always thought ridiculous. But he also thought of how his uncle would sing, his deep voice booming in the night air.

Without his own conscious thought, his eyes closed, remembering back to the times he would be able to hear a song from his uncle. The warm memories pushed away the guilt he felt at betraying his friends, his mind picking out a single song in particular.

"_Winter, spring, _

_Summer and fall. _

_Winter, spring, _

_Summer and fall _

_Four seasons, _

_Four loves _

_Four seasons _

_For love," _

The words flowed effortlessly from his lips, a shy smile gracing his lips as he finished the short song. His eyes widened a bit as the soft giggle from the young girl nestled against his chest, blue green eyes looking up at him with complete warmth and affection.

"Oh, sorry to wake you," he excused, feeling a hint of embarrassment pass over his being as a thought occurred to him. "How long were you listening?" he asked, his cheeks suddenly feeling more warm than he could recall from his recent memory.

"I heard the whole thing," she said teasingly, listening to the growl of frustration that echoed from deep in his throat. "But, it was really nice," the girl added, leaning herself upward, resting against the headboard next to the young man.

"Thanks," he said embarrassedly, disturbed at being caught singing in such a situation. Chancing a look at the girl from the corner of his eye, he noticed the same sad sort of smile he knew he must have been wearing himself. "I'm sorry," he offered, drawing her attention to him.

"For what?" she asked honestly, not knowing what he had to apologize for. The realization dawned on her quickly, a smile gracing her face as she nudged him almost painfully in the side. "God Zuko, stop apologizing. It's like I told Sokka, it's as much my fault as yours," she said, clasping her fingers gently in his.

He watched as their fingers mingled, their palms touching warmly as she held his hand tightly. Leaning over, he pressed his lips gently to hers, smiling at the sweet taste that greeted him. The kiss was brief and innocent, and as he pulled away, he felt the girl lean against his side once again, their fingers still locked together.

"So, where did you learn that song?" Suki asked, a playful smile on her face as he grumbled in more subdued embarrassment than earlier. A sad yet hopeful look crossed his face as he thought for only a moment.

"My uncle. He always tried to get me to take part in music night on the ship, but I always refused," he explained, the girl chuckling as she imagined his more gruff, moody self singing such a sweet song.

"It's a shame. You have a pretty nice voice," she said, his face lighting up a bit under the compliment. "Do you know any other songs?" she asked hopefully, turning her head slightly to gaze into his molten gold spheres.

"I know a few. But I don't think I'm ready to be putting on concerts like my uncle would," he said, nearly cringing as he recalled the picture of his uncle singing for whatever change the strangers of the Earth Kingdom would offer. He wondered, even now, how his uncle could make the best of a situation like that.

"Aww, come on Zuko. You owe me for saving you from getting beaten even worse by Sokka," she teased, a sad bitterness behind the jab. The pair grew silent at the mention of the afternoon's incident, Zuko's mind abuzz with an important question.

"How did everyone else take it?" he asked, hoping that nothing too major had happened outside of his encounter with the boy from the Water Tribe. Suki grew more silent, her fingers tightening around his as she internally debated on whether or not to tell him. She knew he would find out sooner or later.

"Not good," she began, feeling his fingers return the pressure of her own grip. "Katara basically freaked out, going into some pretty intense shouting," Suki said, thinking back to her encounter with the water bender in the bath, how high the emotions had run.

"And I guess that means Aang decided he couldn't stomach it either?" Zuko ventured a guess, Suki nodding sadly at the sentiment.

"Yeah. I don't think there is a situation in this world where he would go against her," Suki said, a faint bit of jest in the word that Zuko caught onto.

"He's got it pretty bad, so that's not too surprising," he said, thinking back to Aang's reaction to seeing him beneath Ba Sing Se. A chuckle escaped his lips as he realized what the look the younger boy had given him was. "That explains some things…" he said mindlessly, earning a confused expression from the young girl at his side. "I'll explain it later," he said, the girl nodding carefully in acceptance.

"Naturally, Sokka had a lot to say on the subject. He and Katara got together, and decided that they couldn't stay under the same roof as either of us, so they're camping out on the beach until the time comes," Suki continued, a pinch of bitterness clamping on her chest at the insinuated insults hurled from the young water siblings.

Zuko responded by holding the girl close, kissing her cheek gently. Her frustration dissipated only a bit, her chest sucking in a heavy breath to push the rest of it away. Looking into his eyes, she wondered what he would have said about it if he had been conscious.

"And Toph was, well, Toph. I don't think she was too upset, but she went with the other three anyway," Suki said, telling Zuko how the earth bender had not been nearly as upset about it as the others thought she should have been. Zuko felt a smirk cross his lips at the thought of the blind girl, the expression earning him another light nudge from the girl who had settled slightly on his lap.

"I don't think she went with _them_, I think she went with _him_," he said, Suki's eyes glimmering with the same realization. Somehow when she had been with Sokka, she had tried to ignore the little girl's crush, but it made more sense to her now that she and Sokka had most definitely split.

"Think she has a chance?" Suki asked, something like hope in her voice.

"I don't know. But even if she does, I don't think they'll be coming back any time soon," he answered solidly, splitting her hope with a single statement.

"So it's just us now, isn't it?" she asked, desperate sadness on her voice. Zuko felt his heart break a bit to hear her, and so simply held her close. Silently he cursed his helplessness, frustrated that he had let things get so messed up.

"I'm sorry, Suki. I never wanted any of this to happen," he said sadly, the girl turning quickly in his lap as she pressed a scolding finger to his forehead. Her lips drawn together in a frustrated frown, she looked right into his eyes.

"Zuko, you can't blame yourself. If I didn't want this, I wouldn't have admitted that I liked you, would I? And I certainly wouldn't do this," she said, pressing her lips to his in a heated kiss, her legs circling on either side of his waist as she leaned further into him. His eyes widened in surprise, before hooding closed as he let the electricity pass through his body.

Her lips were hot, like the fire that he commanded, yet soft and tender. A confusing feeling, one that he knew he would never grow tired of. Idly his hands found their way to her waist, fingers tracing small circles above the waist of her crimson pants. As their tongues pressed against one another, the girl pulled away, lips swollen and cheeks flushed with the contact.

"But I don't think this is the right time for that, do you?" she teased, leaping off of the bed with a start, smirking as his eyes slowly clicked back into life. As he sprung off of the bed after the girl, Zuko watched as she ran around to the other side of the bed. Hands resting on the edge, she seemed to almost challenge him, her eyes sparkling with enjoyment.

"Well, I already slept, so I have plenty of energy. How about you?" her voice cracked a bit as he leapt across the bed, pinning the girl beneath him as her playful shriek passed through the abandoned corridors of the large home.

"Looks like you caught me. So, what now?" she asked, a playful, almost seductive look on her face as she looked up into his glowing golden eyes.

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**Decided to leave it at this point, because I haven't decided where I am going to go from there. Don't think I want to have a sex scene (that would probably be really inappropriate, given the setting) but who knows. Probably flip a coin before writing, unless you guys have opinions on the matter. Anyway, next time look forward to more Zuki fluff as they accept their new situation and they spend a late night together. Look forward to that, good readers.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Nighttime Relaxation**

**Rating: T**

**Chapter 12 of the story for your reading enjoyment. Starting to get less confident with keeping them in character, so tell me if I messed up on this. Weird that I was originally planning this to be like 5 chapters, and now it might actually get up to 20 chapters or so. Planning out the whole end of the series with this new angle in my head. Anyway, this one is just another chapter of (hopefully) sweet moments with the two. Thoughts welcome as always. Enjoy.

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Swallowing the small lump that found its way into his throat, Zuko looked down into the girl's soft sea blue eyes, the clear bluish color piercing through the darkness around them with an eerie brightness. Moving his hands from their perch upon her wrists, the scarred teen placed the calloused palms upon her soft cheeks, stroking the smooth skin with his thumbs as his fingers casually ran through her hair.

He could barely see as she nuzzled her head into the soft touch, her lips pulling into an almost embarrassed, shy smile. Gently his right thumb began to trace across the impossibly soft pair of rubies beneath her clear eyes, the soft lips parting ever so slightly at his soft touch.

Eyes locking to one another, he felt his head begin to lean down, intent on closing the short distance between them. Breathing quickened slightly as their lips drew closer together, each set of eyes closing as their warm breaths mingled. Two separate breaths became one, his lips brushing lightly across her own. A short surge of warmth passed through each of them, a moment of sweet bliss in their minds.

A sudden noise rumbled through the room, breaking the pleasant air between the two. A loud, dull growling sound sounded from the young man. Two pairs of eyes shot open, one in surprise, the other in abject embarrassment. The girl's ruby toned lips pulled into a smile, a short fit of laughter beginning to spill from them.

"I guess there's some things all guys have in common," Suki joked, her crimson cloth brushing against the polished wooden floor as she pulled back into a sitting position. Zuko removed himself from atop the younger girl, hand idly clutching at his uncooperative stomach.

"Didn't have any breakfast this morning," he reasoned, a deep sigh escaping his lips as he cursed his stomach for its undeniable honesty. The young man listened as the girl continued to laugh, any romantic mood having been killed by the sudden sound from his emptied stomach.

His laughing picked up where hers left off, a second growling sounding from within the girl's own core. Soft skin flushing red, she rubbed her hand embarrassedly over her own stomach, eyes showing with helpless acceptance at the calls of her own body.

"Guess that makes two of us," she said, offering the young man a smile as he nodded, each settling on finding something to eat. "Don't suppose you can cook anything?" she asked, straightening her clothing as she brought herself to her feet.

"That was always uncle's job. And now I've gotten used to Katara's cooking," he said, the mention of the young water bender dampening the mood between them further. Silence passed between them for a moment, before Suki artificially brightened herself up.

"Well, I know how to cook a little bit. Not as good as her, I'm sure, but it'll get something in our bodies," she said, starting off towards the kitchen. Before he could muster any sort of response, the girl had slipped into the darkness beyond his room. He barely stifled a small chuckle as the girl bumped into a small table lining the adjoining corridor, her muttering of discomfort sounding oddly in his ears.

Taking a few steps forward, the young man made his way past the entrance to his well decorated room. A snap of his fingers produced a small flickering light atop a nearby candle, the girl grumbling unhappily as she turned back towards him. Shuffling her feet, she approached the young man, a slight wince of pain upon her soft features. She nodded in some embarrassment as she took hold of the candle holder before heading back down the hall.

As the crimson clad girl disappeared into the kitchen, Zuko became aware of the encroaching darkness, the soft rays of moonlight disappearing temporarily behind a dark cloud. Willing a small flame into the palm of his hand, he took a deep, calming breath as he headed in the opposite direction from where the younger girl had gone.

His footsteps sounded heavily against the well kept wooden floors, each step bringing another portrait or painting into view. Memories of a wholly different childhood, of loving parents and a merely somewhat annoying little sister. His steps stopped as he came to a painting of his mother, a pang of hurt passing through his chest at the sight of the young looking woman.

A small smile crossed his lips as thoughts of his kind hearted mother washed over him. How he would run to her for nearly any inconvenience thrown in his way, usually relating to Azula in one way or another. The pang of grief grew as he recalled how hurt he had been to discover that she had disappeared into the night so many years ago.

Tearing his vision from the darkly inked painting, Zuko stalked down the hall further, sliding open the door to the outside as he reached the end of it. Taking a few steps, he dropped into a sitting position at the edge of the wide porch, his feet brushing against the soft blades of unchecked grass that grew right up to the home.

Turning to his right, he leaned against a nearby post, one leg pulled up near his chest as the other hung loosely over the edge. Wind ruffled his hair and loose fitting pants, as well as the grass at his feet. The harmless vegetation tickled the soles of his feet, yet no smile found its way to his lips as he gazed up at the endless night sky.

The familiar pricks of light joined with their larger brother, looking down on the Earth beneath them with an imagined superiority. To look on them, Zuko felt as though he could simple reach out and pluck the tiny lights from the sky, remove them for anyone but himself to look at.

Cool breezes continued to whip at his bare top half, small goose pimples dotting his skin as he basked in the slight chill. Golden eyes closed, his mind trying to recreate the image of the vast expanse of sky against his eyelids, to no affect. Hanging his right arm limply off of his knee, he shifted his gaze downward, watching the blades of grass sway back and forth along with the breeze.

For only a moment, the first he could recall in a long while, the young man allowed himself to forget all about the war, or his homeland or anything to do with the Avatar. He let the peace and tranquility of the moment fill him, the fire of anger and frustration dulling, leaving only the natural heat of his element in his blood.

Slowly, a smile crept along his face, his stomach's growling echoing loudly in his ears as he awaited the bit of food from the young Kyoshi girl. Zuko wondered mindlessly what kind of food the girl might prepare, but found that he was simply hungry for whatever might put a stop to his stomach's annoying growl.

Scanning around the widely opening view, he let his gaze rest on a soft almost imperceptible glow from the distant beach. Soft black smoke billowed from the orange-yellow glow, and he figured that would be where the Avatar and his friends were enjoying their time on the beach… away from him.

That thought sent a short bit of guilt through him, his face seemingly throbbing in response to the memory. The way the Water Tribe boy had pounded him had surprised him, but he could understand it. He had nearly done a similar thing, and for far less serious an offense. So he could not begrudge the younger boy some uncontrolled emotions.

"Dinner's ready," he was brought from his short lived thought by the girl's soft voice, followed by a warm plate of food pressed against his forehead. A small wince of pain sounded from his lips as he took possession of the plate, the girl giggling a bit as she leaned against the post opposite him.

"Looks pretty good," he said, appraising the dishes covering the plate. A small serving of meat and some assorted vegetables, nothing too fancy or complicated. Taking hold of the fork held in place beneath the food, he took s careful bite of the food, eyes wandering a bit to the side as he waited for the poison to kick in.

"Well, how is it?" she asked, a bit of nervousness on her voice as her brows fell wider apart, eyes alight with worry as he went silent for a moment. For another moment, nothing was said, Zuko's soft chewing the only sound between them. Finally, he swallowed before dropping the fork in for another serving.

"Tastes fine to me," he said, offering the girl a reassuring smile as he took a bite of the small leg of meat. He felt a bit of surprise that there was any meat left in the house, Sokka's tastes being well known among the entire group. The young man found the meal to be quite to his tastes, not too spicy but not too bland. Casting an appraising glance at the young warrior, he thought that she held quite a talent in many areas.

The pair of teens ate in silence, their feet occasionally bumping against one another's as they stretched them out in front of their bodies. After a few minutes, they both finished, setting the plates atop one another a short distance away.

"Thanks for that, Suki. I didn't even realize how hungry I was," Zuko said, smiling as he pat his stomach in appreciation. The girl nodded simply, a small smile crossing her face at the easily offered compliment.

"No problem. It wouldn't be very good if you were to starve yourself or something," she joked, nudging him playfully with her foot. Zuko smiled at the young girl, before his gaze shifted off back towards the beach. He noticed that the orange glow had died down, a small trail of smoke billowing upward then disappearing as he figured the group had gone to sleep for the night.

The young Prince felt his lips fall into a frown, the memories of the day once again weighing heavily on him. But he did not get a chance to start feeling down, as he felt the girl's warm, soft hand on his cheek. Blue green eyes watched him sadly, unasked questions glowing behind shimmering sapphires.

"Oh, sorry. Guess I'm still feeling a little woozy," he said, gently taking her hand from his face, their fingers entwining as she took a seat next to him. Her warmth filled his body, a strange feeling for one whose element was the very embodiment of heat and life.

"More like you're feeling bad about what happened," she said, Zuko sighing at how easily she had already seen through him. "Have you thought about what you're going to do now, Zuko?" she asked, his good brow rising as he turned to look at her fully.

"What do you mean?" he asked, a momentary sense of confusion passing over him at the auburn haired girl's question. He was not one to make plans on every little thing, often going with the flow in almost any situation.

"Well, about Aang," she said, as though it should have been obvious what she was referring to. A veritable moment of clarity passed over the young man at the mention of the younger boy. He had nearly forgotten all about the kid, and the role he was to fulfill.

"I don't know. What can I do?" he asked, looking for honest guidance from the young girl at his side. She drew her lips together as though in thought, her fingers thumping against the firm wood beneath her.

"Knowing you, you'd still try and teach him fire bending even if he says no, right?" she said, her lips parting in a bright smile as she leaned her head lazily against his shoulder. Looking up at the sky, she watched the gentle twinkling of the stars above, their faint light lost in the flood of pale glowing from the moon.

"You know me so well. I promised I would teach Aang fire bending, so I will teach him fire bending," he said, wrapping a comforting arm around the girl. His natural warmth prevented the chill of the beach night from affecting them, the pair sitting together as though at a simple picnic beneath the stars.

"Even if that means having to deal with Katara and Sokka?" she asked, a bit more hesitance to her voice at the mention of the two Water Tribe siblings. Zuko fell silent for a moment, like he was actually considering what he would do about those two.

"Yeah… I can't avoid them since they are his best friends. I think I'm a little lucky, though," Zuko said simply, a bit of a sarcastic grin crossing his lips as he thought out his next statement.

"How are you lucky? I mean, aside from all this," she said, nuzzling a bit closer to the young man to illustrate her point. His fingers dug gently into the soft flesh of her shoulder as he kissed her forehead, the sarcasm dropping from his smile as he held the girl close.

"No. Well, that too, but that wasn't what I was getting at. I guess I'm lucky that Aang is a talented bender, probably because he's the Avatar," he said, Suki still not quite getting how that made Zuko lucky.

"I don't get it. Seems like that would irritate you more than make you feel relieved," she reasoned, partly based on her initial impressions of the young man, and partly on his natural competitive spirit which made him such a skilled warrior in multiple disciplines.

"I'm sure I don't have to tell you how uncomfortable it would be to hang around Sokka and Katara right now," he said, Suki cringing a bit at the thought, her blood heating up as she recalled the vicious things that Katara had said. How vengeful and angry she had sounded when she referred to the pair of teens.

"No kidding," she said simply, feeling an odd tension in her fingers as they involuntarily curled into fists.

"Well, for Aang to take out the Fire Lord, there's really only one more technique that I can teach him that he needs," he reasoned, Suki again not sure where he was going. The young man rolled his eyes a bit as he continued. "Aang needs to learn how to redirect lightning," he said, the girl's eyes shifted a bit.

"Redirect lightning? You can do that?" she asked, surprise clear on her voice as she shifted in his arms, looking up into his bright golden eyes.

"Yeah. Otherwise I'd never have a chance against Azula," he said, Suki's eyes narrowing at the mention of the Fire Princess, thoughts of her cruelty and her evil laugh all flooding back at once.

"Anything that helps you beat that wench sounds good to me, but wouldn't it also be useful to teach Aang how to make lightning?" she asked, mildly regretting asking the question at the sorrowful look in his eyes.

"It's alright," he said, catching her regret as he gazed at her. "My uncle tried to teach me the technique once, but I could never master it," he explained. He told her how one needed a lack of emotions and peace of mind to use the technique, the second condition immediately flagging as the reason he could not perform the technique at that time.

"Well, do you think you could do it now?" she asked, his eyes widening a bit at the question.

"What do you mean?" he asked, knowing what she was getting at.

"Well, you seem to have a lot more peace of mind recently than you did in the past. So, do you think you could create lightning if you tried it now?" she asked, the thought traveling through his mind almost visible behind the glowing yellow toned eyes.

"I don't know… I guess it's possible, but for right now I want to focus on teaching Aang the last technique I actually do know," he said, somewhat jokingly. Suki shrugged against him, figuring that there was plenty of time for him to get mentally prepared for something like that.

"Whatever you think is best. Do you think I should come with you tomorrow?" she asked, the implication clear as she thought about how harassing Katara and Sokka might be to the once banished Prince.

"Do you want to? I'd hate for you to get into another argument with either or both of them," he responded, thinking he had gotten her into enough trouble by dragging her down with him.

"No way am I going to just let them lay into you. Last thing we need is you losing your cool and burning the whole island down," she teased, smirking at the light growl that emanated from deep within his throat.

"Give me a little more credit than that," Zuko gruffed, knowing that in his younger days such a thing might have been a distinct possibility.

"Aww come on, lighten up Zuko," Suki said, listening to the barely audible sound of the rolling surf, imagining the white foam as it washed up on the sandy beach. The sound of his beating heart began to replace the soft sound, the rise and fall of his chest relaxing against her slender frame.

The two sat in comfortable silence, each imagining the awkwardness that was likely to ensue at Zuko's next fire bending lesson with the Avatar. Two bodies leaned in together, their warmth increasing as skin came into contact with skin. Hard, toned muscle brushed against soft, supple curves increasing the shared warmth.

"Zuko?" Suki asked after a moment, her voice trailing off a bit as she spoke.

"Hmm? What is it?" he asked, feeling the silky softness of her reddish brown hair against his bare skin. The short hair looked so tantalizing as it caught the faint rays of the moon's light, the celestial light continuing its steady race across the sky. Black illuminated by pure white, the night passed undisturbed beyond the beach house that the two found themselves sharing all on their own.

"How did you get to be, you know, good?" she asked, not ever having been clear on how such a transformation had come about. The girl looked into his golden toned eyes as she awaited a response, hoping it had not been a bad question to ask.

"My uncle," he answered simply, a wry smile pulling its way across his lips with the memory of the older gentleman. "He was always trying to help me, even when I wasn't willing to accept it. I guess it just took a little bit of time for his lessons to get through to me," he spoke, his voice dropping to a steady pitch as he spoke, his words ringing pleasantly in the girl's ears.

"Do you think you'll ever meet him again? I assume there are all kinds of things you want to say to him," she reasoned, her arm finding its way around his waist as he leaned back. Soon she found herself lying atop the young man, his hands folded behind his head as her head rested against his strong chest.

"I'm sure I will. Destiny is a funny thing, but it's something we make for ourselves. I always used to think that someone else could restore my honor, or that I was held to some destiny decided for me by my father, but I know better. If it takes me forever, I'll find my uncle, and make peace with him," he answered resolutely, his eyes focusing on a random pin prick in the night sky above him.

"That's a nice sentiment," she said, placing her face right above his, the locks of auburn tinted hair falling around her face blocking his view of the sky. Shifting his eyes, he looked into the barely visible blue spheres, his body warming a bit as she pressed down a bit harder against his body.

"I can't take credit. My uncle is the one who always said it," he responded, removing one hand from behind his head, stroking the girl's cheek softly before cupping her chin. Tilting it down, he let the appendage wander across the exposed skin of her back, pulling her body down further on top of his.

"Well, it's still a nice sentiment. And I'd love to help you find your uncle, Zuko, even if it takes forever," she said, her bluish eyes shimmering a bit with the light layer of tears coating the bright sapphires. Zuko felt himself smile as he leaned up, closing the remaining distance between the pair as their lips drew together.

The young Prince felt the girl's strong legs on either side of his waist, her light frame grinding almost playfully against his. Sliding his other hand from its perch behind his head, the scarred Fire Nation royal let both sets of fingers roam across her impossibly soft body, delighting in each curve and each new expanse of silky smooth softness as much as he had the first time.

As his hands rested upon her inviting hips, Zuko let his tongue slip past her velvety lips into her warm mouth. Her own tongue offered its resistance, rubbing easily against his as her lips opened further. Soft moans began to escape from deep within the younger girl, each sensual sound caught in his mouth as they lost themselves in the intense warmth and pleasure of the other.

His strong hands traveled up slowly along her back, her body seemingly attempting to lean into him further as the warm digits traced each small bump along her spine, brushing against the surrounding muscles at the small of her back. Up past her shoulders, his fingers finally rested once more in the thick locks of rust tinted hair, gently pulling her lips harder against his own.

After a few breathless minutes, the two pulled apart, cheeks mutually flushed as the girl found herself in a most precarious position upon the young man's waist. Zuko let his fingers linger across her soft lips, the full bits of flesh parting slightly as he teased her knowingly.

"I've been meaning to ask, but how did you get so good at this? It's almost unfair," she said, feigning frustration at the way he was able to draw even the smallest pleasures from her body.

"Maybe I'll tell you someday," he teased in return, eyes sparking with mirth as he moved to stand, the girl refusing to move until he answered. Golden spheres narrowing, the young man gathered a firm grip on her hips, holding her tightly against him as he pulled himself to his feet. It was a more difficult task to manage with the girl in his arms, but he smirked as he managed the feat.

"No fair," she said, more honest frustration as she slipped from his grip, rubbing a bit of soreness from her legs' disuse over the preceding bit of time. Zuko took a single breath before leaning down, taking the dishes in hand.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow," he said gently, offering her a sweet, chaste kiss as he disappeared into the beach house. As she watched him slip into the darkness, Suki had a near wicked moment of thought, hurrying into the house towards the future Fire Lord's bed chamber.

Dropping the dishes into the sink with a loud thunk, Zuko washed a bit of water over the food covered platters. Not wanting to really do any cleaning at that moment, he decided to let them sit in the clear water overnight, and worry about them in the morning.

Throwing his arms over his head, the young man felt a yawn hurryingly extricate itself from his lips, filling the hall with the sound of exhaustion as he walked down the corridors. Knowing the structure as he did, he managed to navigate well enough without preparing a light to walk by.

A surge of relief washed over him as he clicked the door closed behind him. Leaden footsteps sounded heavily on the polished floorboards as he approached the dresser. Opening a black toned drawer, he pulled out a simple shirt for sleep before closing the drawer.

"Aww, but you look fine without a shirt on," Suki's silky smooth voice sounded from his bed, drawing his attention right towards her. The girl had removed most of her clothing, her slender frame draped in one of his own shirts. He was a bit speechless at the sight of the girl, drawing a light giggle from her.

"But… why are you…?" he began to ask, the girl pushing the satin sheets from over her body, slender fingers tracing small circles on the bed next to her.

"Come on, Zuko. I don't bite or anything," she teased, shooting the boy an honest smile as she settled into bed. With a sigh of defeat, the young man instead dropped the shirt on top of the fine black dresser, making his way back to bed.

Crawling beneath the blood colored sheets, he felt the girl's distinct curves press up against his back, her arm snaking around his waist as she pulled him closer to her. Her breaths tickled the back of his ear, a mirthful smirk apparent on her ruby lips as she molded herself against him.

"Good night, Zuko," she whispered in his ear, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek as she closed her eyes.

"Good night," he whispered in return, a smile gracing his lips as he too closed his eyes. He knew the next day would be a chore to deal with, but he was used to difficulties of a much harsher nature.

'_Besides,'_ he thought to himself with a smile, _' she'll be there to help out.'

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**Just wanted to end this one with a sweet little moment. Next chapter Zuko teaches Aang the technique for redirecting lightning, and another night of sweet conversation between Zuko and Suki (just can't get enough of it) before getting to the events in Sozin's Comet. Please don't hesitate to tell me if I am ruining the characters and stuff like that. Until next time, good readers.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Explanations and Fun**

**Rating: K**

**Here is the start of where this story starts overlapping with the way the story unfolded. The events of Sozin's Comet will make up most of the rest of this story, and an epilogue for some closure (just hate unfinished plot points). Starts with a cute Zuko x Suki moment, then picks up with part 1 of Sozin's Comet. Thoughts as always are welcome, and hope you enjoy the story.

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As the haze of sleep passed away, leaving in its wake the soft warmth of sunlight on tired faces, Zuko felt his eyes open with mild protestation. Deep inside, a part of him screamed to simply go back to sleep, enjoy the feel of the soft, warm body pressed against his back.

But another part of him, the regimented, habitual part of him told him to get up, extricate himself from soft, warm arms and do his morning workout before facing the Avatar's little group later in the morning. The thought of the two Water Tribe siblings was nearly enough to push him back to sleep on its own, a chill running down his spine at the thought of dealing with the cold stares.

Soft murmurs of sleep sounded lazily against his ear, the Sun glowing brightly onto his face as it peeked through the small crack in the center of the fancy drapes. Black and red curtains filtered most of the light from entering the room, but a stray ray found its way directly onto his face, reflecting lazily off of his skin up into his eyes.

Closing his eyes, he tried to shrug the thought off, content to enjoy the girl's soft warmth for as long as he could manage. But the light reflecting lightly off of his skin cast an irritating glow beyond his eyelids, a dark black spotted with light orange hues. Opening his golden eyes, he felt a low growl sound in his throat at not having closed the curtains more tightly.

The light rumbling brought a short murmur of enjoyment from the sleeping girl at his back, the sound causing the young man to roll his eyes a bit in jealousy and frustration. Reaching beneath the covers, he looked for the girl's hand, finding it perched gently upon his stomach, fingers entwined with that of the other hand as she held him tightly.

Snaking hid fingers between her slender digits, he attempted to pry them apart, figuring he should just do his workouts before facing the group so that he could get the awkwardness out of the way. Soft gold eyes narrowed as he added a bit more pressure, finding her grasp tighter than he had imagined.

Pausing for a moment, he debated whether or not to simply pull harder, and risk waking the girl up earlier than she would want. He knew from experience how dangerous it could be to wake anyone up earlier than they wanted, especially one who was capable of causing him bodily harm if they so desired it.

His body beginning to feel restless at the lazy posture, he decided to put a bit more effort into escaping the girl's greedy clutches. Lips tightening in concentration, he felt a short burst of relief as the fingers came apart, the arms separating more easily as they did. The girl's skin remained as smooth to his touch as he recalled, and he found himself once more wanting to simply roll back into bed and remain in the peaceful, easy grasp of the auburn haired beauty.

Sensing enough space to remove himself from within her arms, the young Prince attempted to roll out of bed, scooting forward gently so as to not wake the girl. Just as he was about to place his feet upon the floor beyond the edge of the bed, his eyes widened as he felt a stronger grasp take hold of his body, pulling him backwards into bed.

"Come on, Zuko, it's too early. I don't want to get up yet," she whispered sleepily in his ear, the soft lips and heated breath sending pleasurable shivers as they ran easily across his sensitive skin.

Turning in the girl's grasp, he noticed the warm smile on her face, sea blue eyes closed lazily against the morning sun. Her usually well fixed reddish brown locks framed her face as easily as usual, the soft locks made messy after a night's sleep. Reaching up with one hand, he brushed a few mussed locks behind her ear, feeling the soft breath from the girl brushing against his lips.

"Sorry. You can stay in bed, but there are certain things I have to take care of," he said, feeling the next instinct of a male in the morning make its presence felt. He could tell she was rolling her eyes even behind shut eyelids, a light chuckle escaping her lips.

"Fine, but you better make this up to me," she said, Zuko watching as the bright sapphires reflected faint traces of the Sun's light, giving them a distinct glitter about them. Leaning forward a bit, he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek before removing himself from within her grasp, his feet padding hurriedly against the polished floors towards the bathroom.

Lips pursing together in some disappointment, Suki watched as the scarred teen made his way down the hall, disappearing through the decorative doorframe before slicking the door shut behind him. Lying back in bed, she pulled the crimson satin sheet over her head, an attempt to drown out any further light that might make its way through the crack in the curtains.

Once finishing the most basic morning requirement, Zuko slowly made his way out towards the large courtyard, eyes involuntarily closing against the bright flood of sunlight. As his sight came to normal, he allowed his eyes to survey the scenery around, the light colored stone of the courtyard catching the soft yellow white rays of sunlight.

The soft rustling of trees rang lazily in his ears, the tall palms swaying gently in the soft morning breeze. Taking a deep breath, the young man stood in place near the center of the large square, the largest source of his native element filling him with its positive glow.

Inhaling and exhaling steadily, he felt the light haze of sleep pass out of his body, replaced with the energy from the Sun. Focusing inward, he felt the flow of chi through himself, eyes flashing open as he set about a short, basic routine. Short, precise punches, flowing easily into a series of kicks, picturing his opponent in front of him.

Interspersing flame into his martial art moves, he felt the comforting heat of the heated element as it escaped his grasp, bursts of the orange and red colored flame pushing forth from his hands and feet before fizzling out a short distance into the air. The young man imagined his opponent blocking his moves, a sharp, angled face alight with annoyance and malice.

Blood toned lips pursed in anger as the face of his sister came into view, his own features contorting into a bit of his old anger at the thought of the younger fire bender. The cold, calculated manipulations, the biting remarks, and the icy tone of voice each still hung fresh in his memory.

The recollections of the younger girl made his moves more violent, picturing the grace and agility she could so easily display when she wished. He watched as the flame spewing from his own hands increased in size, taking longer to fizzle out into the slowly warming morning air.

Lunging forward, the young man dropped to his back, spinning in place as a wide arc of flame flowed out in front of his body along the flat surface. As he completed the move, he pushed off with his feet, propping onto his hands before spring boarding into a standing pose once again. Leaping as high into the air as he was able, the scarred Fire Prince sent his body spinning forward, a column of flame following the movements of his feet as he sent his heel dropping onto the ground.

Breathing heavily, Zuko brought himself back to his feet, listening to the strained intake of breath from the intensity of his brief workout. His vision slowly turned behind him as he heard a soft clapping, a near mocking applause ringing through the cleared courtyard.

"That was pretty impressive, Zuko," Suki said, legs curled beneath her body as the black silk shirt hung loosely to her waist, gold trim catching the light of the Sun above. A moment of embarrassment passed over the older boy as he made his way towards the girl, fingers stretching to grasp the towel she tossed at his head.

"It wasn't anything that great. It's actually more fun when you can practice with someone else, but since that's not an option right now…" he said, wiping the thin layer of sweat from his body, enjoying the feel of cool morning air on his warm skin.

"So, who were you picturing while you were doing your practice?" Suki asked curiously as he took a seat next to her, his eyes consciously avoiding staring at the delectable curves of her body displayed by the loose fitting shirt.

"What do you mean?" he asked, his eyes focusing on the horizon in the distance.

"Come on, I can tell when you're all angry and stuff, and you definitely got some of that during your little routine. So, was it Azula?" she asked, her voice holding no teasing at the mention of the Fire Princess.

"Seems like she doesn't have any allies anywhere in the world," Zuko said sadly, watching as Suki stretched her toned legs out in front of her.

"Not hard to imagine, the way she seems to act," Suki said, remembering how she had been defeated. She had been informed by the group that Azula and her friends had used the captured Kyoshi Warrior's costumes to infiltrate the Earth Kingdom palace at Ba Sing Se, a thought that made her fingers clench tightly on the topmost edge of the stone staircase beneath her.

"I guess that's what happens when you spend a lot of time with my father," Zuko explained, a hint of grief on his voice as he pictured the way Azula had been praised nearly her entire life, often at Zuko's expense.

"Hey, at least we'll get a chance to take her down before this is all over," Suki said, drawing Zuko's attention to her as she spoke. The two smiled at that idea, before Zuko's gaze again shifted towards the distant beach.

"I wonder if they're up yet…" he muttered darkly, the nervousness over what he had to do clear in his eyes. Clasping his hand with her own, the girl smiled reassuringly at the young man, hiding her own nervousness over the matter at hand.

"I'm sure they are by now. So maybe we should head down there and get this over with," she said, the nerves poking through as she spoke. Zuko chuckled a bit as he looked at her, a thin brow rising in confusion before he spoke.

"Well, I think you might want to, uh, get dressed first," he said, nodding his head for her to take a look at herself. A dark blush stained her cheeks as she playfully punched his arm, quickly disappearing back into the house. Zuko watched the soft fluttering of the black silk surrounding her body as she walked, his own cheeks a bit warm at the sight of her soft curves beneath the hem of the shirt.

Leaning back against the top of the small staircase, Zuko watched the slow movement of the white puffs of air through the sky, the warmth of the Sun soaking into his body as his elbows rested against the evened out stone. Golden toned eyes slowly began to close, arms splayed lazily to either side of his body.

The warmth encompassed his entire body, seeping down into his bones as the Sun continued its slow rise along the skyline. As his eyes finally fell closed, he felt a sudden pressure against his face, the world going darker through his closed eyelids. Opening his eyes, he noticed the clothing covering his face, reaching up easily and removing the offending garment.

"Here, I figured you wouldn't want to be marching down there with no shirt on," she said, her eyes indicating that she for one would not mind such a scene. Rolling his eyes a bit in mock frustration, he pulled the dark toned tunic over his head, feeling the soft rustling of his hair as it settled around his face once more.

"Thanks," he said simply, tightening the sash around his waist as he pulled himself to his feet. Taking a deep breath, he grudgingly set off towards the beach, Suki following a short distance to the right, her hands clasped innocently together behind her as she walked.

The pair stopped as they approached the beach, sounds of laughter emanating from the group's makeshift encampment. Looking at Suki, Zuko watched as she confusedly shrugged her shoulders before slowly making their way towards a small ledge hanging over the group of teens.

Zuko's face fell at the sight of the group, his palm instinctively clutching at his temple to rub out some of the frustration making its way into his brain. Suki simply laughed a bit, both from Zuko's reaction and the spectacle taking place in the beach lining the water.

Katara was riding a board made of ice along the steady ocean currents, leaping gracefully into the air and performing a few spins and twists. An enthusiastic smile crossed her face as she landed back into the cooled water, a spray of fine mist shooting up around her.

Aang stuck a large stick into the head of a large sculpture of Appa, the flying bison roaring seemingly in approval as he came face to face with a sand sculpted version of himself. Aang shouted enthusiastically at his completed creation, Toph smirking a short distance away before turning to a bare patch of sand.

The blind girl cracked her knuckles, before making a few small motions of her hands towards the sand. A puff of dust sprung up around a suddenly visible hole in the ground. Zuko and Suki each held their eyes on the impressive display, a scale replica of the city of Ba Sing Se in the small pit of sand.

Sokka was off on his own, staring sadly out at the ocean. He made brief notice when one of the others in the group called to him, a forced smile briefly appearing on his face before turning back out to sea. Zuko felt the pangs of guilt in his chest again, Suki knowingly smacking him lightly on the head to cut off any emotional depression.

"Well, looks like they're having fun," Zuko said, rubbing the back of his head where Suki had hit him.

"Yeah. Too bad we can't go down there and join them," Suki said, sighing heavily at the sight of the group enjoying their little party. Zuko's face tightened into a serious expression, as though a thought suddenly made itself known to the young man.

"They don't have time for this…" he said, the auburn haired girl's brows quirking up in confusion as she listened to the muffled whispering of the young man. She watched as he shot to his feet, his face set in a serious expression as he leapt down into the white sand below.

Suki peeked over the edge of the small cliff, eyes widening as Zuko sent a heavy burst of flame towards Aang's well built sand structure. Frantic movement followed from each in the Avatar's group, looks of complete surprise on their faces as the young man mercilessly attacked the bald headed kid. Suki watched as Zuko gave chase to the young Avatar, easily scaling the sheer cliff face in pursuit as Aang hurriedly rushed back towards the beach house.

Suki was first to follow the pair as Zuko continued hurling balls of flame at the agile kid, the top of a palm tree exploding into flame as Aang leapt from it to the house. Zuko hurriedly made his way onto the roof of the house, showering a trio of fire blasts down towards the young boy. She watched as Aang grabbed onto the edge of the roof, swinging into one of the rooms of the house.

The rest of the group slowly began to catch up, the distinct glow of fire emanating from a separate window. Suki wondered if Zuko had maybe snapped, wondering what had caused him to react in such a way.

A burst of wind shot from the distant window, Zuko falling from the opening almost right after that. As the young man landed in an embankment of sand, he watched as the rest of the Avatar's group gathered around, Katara and Sokka holding looks of more malice than surprise.

"What's the big idea, Zuko?" the brunette asked, her hands ready with her water in case his answer didn't satisfy her for whatever reason. Sokka had a similar expression, though he kept looking sideways at Suki, distinct tones of sadness echoing loudly behind his crystal blue eyes.

"What do you mean? Sozin's Comet is only three days away, and you guys are, what, having a beach party? You guys need to get serious," Zuko said, rising to his feet as he dusted the bits of sand from his dark colored pants. Suki stood a short distance in front of him, her question at least partially answered. She breathed a sigh of relief that he was still just focused on the main objective, and not slipping back into his old persona.

"Hahahah," Katara laughed, a smirk holding heavily on her lips as she enjoyed the Fire Prince's clueless questioning of them. Suki felt a hint of annoyance at the superior, derisive tone of the younger girl, wonder what could be so funny.

"Actually," Aang began, looking nervously down at the ground at his feet as he began to clue Zuko into the group's plan. A brief moment of Katara trying to shush the younger boy was ignored, his stone grey eyes settling on the older boy as he spoke. "I was going to wait until after the comet to fight the Fire Lord," he said, Zuko's eyes widening in surprise.

"After?" he asked simply, struggling to get the information to pass through his mind.

"I'm not ready. I still need more time to master fire bending…" he said, a stronger hint of nervousness in his voice at the mention of the foreign element.

"And frankly, your earth bending could use some work too," Toph added, never one to pass up a chance to prod one of her friends when she could. Aang's face fell into one of mild annoyance, not enjoying being insulted in such a way.

"So… you all knew that Aang was going to wait to fight the Fire Lord?" Zuko asked, getting an impression that the group had made this decision some time ago, and had simply neglected to tell him. Looking over at Suki, he looked for some indication that she was aware of it, her gaze shifting gently down to the ground seemingly affirming the notion.

"Honestly, if Aang fights the Fire Lord now, he's going to lose, no offense," Sokka said, watching from the corner of his vision as Aang's lips drew into a mildly insulted frown. The young man felt his eyes straining to not stare daggers at the young Prince or his new lover. His voice holding none of his usual positive energy, he simply explained the situation as indifferently as he could manage under the circumstances. He didn't enjoy talking to the older boy, but he needed to know that there wouldn't be any trouble.

"The whole point of fighting the Fire Lord before the comet was to prevent the Fire Nation from winning the war," Katara spoke, dangerous ice spiking each syllable that passed through tightly drawn lips. "But they pretty much won the war when they took Ba Sing Se," she added, not bothering to hide her reinforced negative impression of the Prince from that particular incident.

Suki winced a bit at the coldness in Katara's voice, noticing as Zuko likewise flinched at the mention of his greatest blunder. Taking a step forward, the Kyoshi girl took position to Zuko's side, loosely taking grip of his hand for some measure of comfort.

"Things can't possibly get any worse," Katara spoke once again, turning her ice blue eyes away from the pair of sneaky, malicious teens.

"You're wrong…" Zuko said simply, his golden eyes planted firmly against the ground at the group's feet. Each turned directly towards the young Prince, looks of questioning and confusion on their faces. "It's about to get worse than you can even imagine," he continued, removing his hand from Suki's comforting grip as he turned away from the group.

Taking a short breath, Zuko recounted the war meeting held right before the eclipse, detailing the plan that Azula had set forth after Zuko had spoken. It surprised him only a little that she and their father could take what he had said, and twisted it into something so ugly.

Settling on a small rock at the edge of the small clearing, he watched the others' faces show all their horror and anger, each wondering how someone could do something so awful. Zuko felt his own revulsion at the plan, increased by the fact that he could have spoken up against it, but hadn't.

"Like father like son, I guess," Katara said bitterly, feeling that the pair of Fire Nation royals were indeed cut from the same cloth. Zuko winced only a bit at the girl's seething anger, unable to mount a real defense against her words. He felt he was at least partially responsible for the plan, for simply going along with what he clearly knew was wrong.

"I always knew the Fire Lord was a bad guy, but this plan is just pure evil," Sokka said, fists clenched tightly at his side as he imagined the maniacal laughter of the Fire Nation's regent, the cackling, evil daughter to his side.

"What am I gonna do?" Aang asked rhetorically, the pressure of the moment increasing upon his narrow shoulders. He knew he wasn't ready, and that if he fought the Fire Lord, the fate of the entire world would be his burden to bear.

"I know you're scared," Zuko began, drawing the boy's attention back to him, "and I know you're not ready to save the world. But if you don't defeat my father before the comet comes, there won't be a world left to save," he said, watching as the energetic boy's face fell to pieces, the pressure and the intensity of what he was going to be asked to do weighing heavily on him.

"Why didn't you tell me about your dad's crazy plan sooner?" Aang asked, losing control of his emotions for a moment as the whole size of the moment fell on him. He felt his heart beating quickly in his chest, wondering if he could possibly defeat someone who he had been told countless times was the most powerful person on the planet.

"I didn't think I had to. I thought you were still planning to fight him before the comet. Nobody told me you decided to wait," Zuko said, indicating his lack of involvement in the group's plans up to this point. He knew that Aang was feeling nervous, and more than a little scared, just as he had been when he confronted the Fire Lord on the Day of Black Sun.

"This is bad. This is really bad," Aang complained, falling to his knees in a helpless, defeated posture unbefitting the potential savior of the world. Zuko watched as Katara approached the young air bender, comforting him with promises that he was not alone, and that his friends would not abandon him.

Sokka and Toph joined the group hug, leaving Zuko and Suki on their own. They looked to one another, hands clasping together in comfort. As the group's warm embrace went on, Zuko cleared his throat, indicating that he had something important to do. Sokka and Toph grudgingly dispersed, the blind girl giving the Fire Prince a playful punch to the arm as she walked by.

Katara refused to leave Aang on his own with someone she could not trust, opting instead to take up a seat at the top of the short staircase with Suki a short distance to the brunette's right side. Zuko and Aang could almost feel the tension between the girls, Zuko thanking all the stars in the sky that he had spent so much time meditating in the past.

"There's one technique you need to know before you face my father. How to redirect lighting," Zuko said, watching as the young Avatar's face light up in near childlike excitement. It was one of the things he found he liked about the kid, how enthusiastic he was to learn new things.

"If you let the energy in your own body flow, then the lightning will follow it," he began his simple explanation, showing Aang the movements to illustrate the redirection of the ultimate form of fire bending. "You turn your opponent's energy against them," he continued, repeating the gesture so that Aang got a clear look at the form of the technique.

"That's like water bending," the bald boy said, his face alight in excitement at getting to work with an aspect of bending that he was more comfortable with. Katara clicked her tongue in derision, finding it hard to believe that a fire bender could have a technique anything like water bending.

"Exactly. My uncle developed this technique himself after studying water benders," Zuko explained, going through the motions at the same time as Aang, finding himself falling into a bit of a rhythm with the gesture.

"So… have you ever redirected lightning?" Aang asked, his youthful enthusiasm rendering him unaffected by Katara's nearly tangible anger towards the Fire Prince.

"Once… against my father," he said, answering the boy's question with a hint of anger and sadness in his voice. He explained how exhilarating and terrifying it was to hold the pure energy of lightning inside one's own body. Cautioning Aang how dangerous it could be, watching the boy's face shift from excitement to nervous fright, clear uncertainty over using the technique.

"If you mess up even a little bit, it's over," he finished, indicating just how dangerous it was to attempt to redirect lightning.

"Well, not over over. I mean, there's always Katara and a little Spirit Water action, am I right?" Aang asked nervously, moving his gaze towards the brunette water bender.

"Actually, I used it all up when Azula shot you in the back," she said, her voice stained with anger and sadness at the mention of that incident. Aang's body slumped forward a bit, the nervousness increasing with the knowledge of the finality of matters if he made a mistake.

"Oh," he said sadly, feeling his heart beating quickly in his chest.

Before Zuko could offer more encouragement, Suki rushed forward, clasping her hand around his, smiling as his eyes widened in surprise. His brow rose upward, as though asking what she was doing.

"Well, I think that's as much as you can do for Aang right now, unless you can shoot some lightning at him," she said, teasing the older boy a bit with the knowledge that he could not shoot lightning. Katara smirked a bit at that, knowing how much he suffered from any sort of inferiority.

Grumbling a bit, he watched as Suki's ruby lips pursed together in a highly amused smile, clearly taking some satisfaction from his displeasure. "So, where are we going?" he asked, bowing respectfully towards Aang before Suki could completely drag him away.

"In told you that you'd have to make it up to me this morning, didn't I?" she asked, rust colored hair swaying as she dragged him behind her. Zuko nodded nervously, wondering where she was going with this. "Well, to make it up to me, you're taking me on a date before the comet gets here," she said, the finality of her voice offering him no resistance.

As the Kyoshi Warrior dragged him off towards the town, memories of a girl in Ba Sing Se flashed through his mind, and Zuko found himself thinking it might be easier to deal with the pair of upset Water Tribe siblings.

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**Next time, a whole chapter of fluff, with Zuko and Suki's first official date. Just need one more chapter of pure fluff before just retelling the main story. I am a bit nervous on how to handle the final battle between Zuko and Azula, since I can't exactly have the guy get shot full of lightning with no Katara to heal his butt, so I need to really think about how it would play out with Suki instead. Hope you all enjoyed this story, and look forward to the continuation (and the Zuki fluff). Until next time, good readers.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Dragged Along**

**Rating: K**

**Man, this was a pain in the butt to write. Not really to write, but it was a pain to get started on. Once I got started, it just sort of rolled out (for the most part). Got distracted reading some stuff (Green Lantern) so it might feel a bit disjointed and stuff, so let me know if that's the case. Decided to break this chapter up into two, because it would be weird to have a huge, 10000 word chapter in the middle of the story. SO, this is the first half, and the second half goes up hopefully tomorrow. Basically almost entirely Zuko x Suki fluff, so hope you enjoy.

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Feeling nearly helpless against the girl's strong grip, Zuko watched the subtle sway of her body as she walked. Even from behind her, he could nearly picture her lips curled into an unnatural smile, could imagine the look of determination on her face. But he couldn't picture the girl's motives.

Pulling back against her advance, he listened to her feet skid a short distance across the loose bits of gravel on the road to town. With his own kind of seriousness, he pulled his hand from within hers, walking in front of the auburn haired girl. Once in the right position, he looked down at her, ocean blue eyes shifted to the ground at her feet.

"Okay, what's going on?" he asked seriously, his tone of voice causing the girl to flinch a bit under his scrutiny. Slowly her eyes lifted up towards him, a nervous smile on her lips where once he would have imagined one of excitement or confidence.

"I told you already, you had to make it up to me for waking me up so early this morning, and this seems like as good a method for that as any," she said, Zuko's eyes showing that he clearly had a feeling that there was something else that she wasn't saying. Knowing that it wasn't exactly productive to prod further, he sighed heavily, turning away from the girl.

Staring down the dusty road, lined with tall, lean palm trees, Zuko watched the heavy leaves sway gently in the light breeze. The soft rustling of plant life brushing together filled the silent road, washing over the pair of teens. Zuko thought for a moment, wondering what exactly he was supposed to do on a date. The thought of it made him nervous, wondering how this girl would act if he made as much a fool of himself as he had with Jin.

Gentle coolness filled the young man, tempering the warmth from the Sun as it shone down on the world beneath it. Casting a look back towards the young girl, he felt himself groan inwardly, her lips pursed as she looked at him with something approaching pleading, eyelashes batting sweetly in his direction.

"Well, I don't have much experience with this kind of stuff, but I guess I do owe you," he said reluctantly, distinct tones of defeat on his voice as he nodded his head down towards the road ahead of him.

"Aww, you're so sweet, Zuko," Suki said, placing a soft kiss on the boy's cheek before clasping his hand in hers as she again headed off towards the small beach town. Zuko could not help but smile at the girl's enthusiasm, a gentle smile gracing his usually stern countenance.

"Yeah, yeah. But I know there's another reason for this, so I expect you to tell me about it at some point," he said, his voice leaving no room for her to argue. The girl slowed a bit, looking behind her with a hesitance that had matched his own at finding out about this sudden adventure.

Suki looked at Zuko for a moment, his eyes catching a thought running behind soft blue eyes. Silence passed between them, broken up only by the rustling of tree leaves and other shrubbery. Finally her smile returned as she walked right up to the young Prince.

"Well, I'll tell you if the date goes well," she said, the "deal" not sounding like one he would be able to get much out of. His mind instantly played out the worst case scenarios, and he found himself wondering if she would even talk to him if any of them played out. But as he looked into her eyes, he found himself just nodding and accepting.

"Fine," he said in some frustration, watching her smile grow even wider at his acceptance of her terms. "So, what did you have in mind?" he asked, curious as to whether or not she had any sort of plan for this date. The girl's smile faltered only a bit, a faint blush crossing her smooth cheeks as she looked lazily away from the young man.

"Well…" she began, brushing the tips of her simple shoes against the hardened earth at her feet, kicking around the few loose pieces of rock. Zuko's eyes narrowed a bit as he looked more intently at her, a single thought running through his head.

"Don't tell me you've never gone on a date before?" he asked, the disbelief evident in his voice. As the girl gently nodded in affirmation, Zuko felt his fingers instinctually rise to his temple, rubbing out a suddenly aching spot of tension.

"Hey, what's that for? It's not like I've had lots of opportunities for this kind of thing," she said, flustered as she punched the older boy in the arm before turning away from him in a huff.

"It's not like I've done this that much either," Zuko said calmly, hoping to settle the young girl. Taking position to the girl's side, he watched as her face gradually warmed, a short bit of nervousness passing between them.

"So, what do people usually do on dates?" Suki asked, hoping that Zuko had at least _some_ idea of what to do. The scarred teen slipped into nervous thought, trying to recall what he and Jin had done on the date that his uncle had so graciously accepted on his behalf.

"Well, I guess food is usually involved," Zuko said stiffly, hoping it sounded right. Suki thought for a moment before nodding, the idea of having someone else cook their food not entirely uninteresting to her.

"Then I guess we better find a restaurant," she said, brushing her loose strands of rust toned hair behind her ear as she set off towards town, Zuko keeping his position at her side as they made their way down the worn street.

Gradually, the emptiness of the road gave way to the beginnings of traffic, the road becoming lined with shops on either side. As the number of people around increased, Zuko had a feeling that people were staring at him, soft whispers hanging menacingly on his ears as they spoke.

Natural paranoia kicked in, much as it did during his time in the Earth Kingdom, and he wondered if it had been a mistake to come into town, especially without his usual heavy cloak to cover his telltale scar.

"It seems like some of these people might recognize you," Suki said, leaning over to whisper in the young man's ear. Zuko tensed for a moment, and considered just heading back the way they had come, until Suki clasped his hand firmly. "It'll be alright, Zuko. I'm sure it's nothing," she said, trying to sound reassuring despite her own misgivings.

As they continued down the path, the quiet rustling of nature gave way to the bustle of a relatively busy town, tourists and vacationers from all over the Fire Nation relaxing in the small beach town. Suki and Zuko scanned the crowds around, a sense of relief running over them as the focused whispers mingled with the shouts of the crowd.

Coming to a stop in the town square, they watched in surprise as a group of kids came rushing out of a distant building, dressed in garb all too familiar. They each looked to one another then watched as the trio of kids headed quickly towards them. Zuko and Suki each gulped as the kids stood in front of them, staring intently at the taller teens.

"Wow, your costume is pretty good," the kid in the center spoke first, a youthful smile on his face showing off a missing tooth. A patch of brown hair snuck out from beneath a pale bald cap with a blue arrow on it, the sight of it reminding Zuko of a whole life in the past.

"Costume?" Suki asked, feeling a hint of confusion at the suggestion as she looked to Zuko, who simply shrugged. "What are you talking about?" she continued, sea blue eyes locking on the trio of kids as she sat upon her haunches.

"Well, his Zuko costume is pretty good, but the scar's on the wrong side," the other boy said, his hair pulled into an all too familiar wolf's tail. Zuko fought back the urge to just scream at the kid, to tell him about all that he had suffered, but managed with some difficulty to choke back the sentiment.

"What's all this talk about costumes?" Zuko asked between clenched teeth, his fingers digging painfully into the skin of his palms as he felt the anger slowly slip away. Taking a cleansing breath, he looked down at the bunch of kids, his body tensing just a bit at the sight of the third kid.

"Ah that's a good one. I mean, why else would you be dressed up like Zuko," the little girl said, her braided hair swaying as she bounced back and forth on her feet, a childlike lisp lining some of the words that passed through her lips.

"Okay, so there's an inspiration for the costumes, but what is it?" Suki asked, taking the initiative before Zuko had a chance to blow a gasket. The seeming leader of the group reached into the red-orange cloth draped over his shoulders, pulling out a rolled up piece of paper.

"What's this?" Suki asked, taking the piece of paper from the young kid. Unrolling it, she couldn't help but laugh a bit, Zuko's face tensing into a mix of embarrassment and fury at the sight of the poster.

"It's only the best play ever," the second boy said enthusiastically, his voice reminding Zuko and Suki of the obvious inspiration for his "costume".

"Well, what do you know? You think Sokka is the best character. He's such an idiot," the girl said, rolling her eyes in much the same way that her own inspiration might. Both of the teens noticed the resemblance right away, and made an assumption about her favorite "character" from this play.

"Well, everyone knows Aang is the best character," the first kid said, leaping easily onto the edge of a nearby fountain. Zuko watched with some morbid fascination as the kid mimicked the movements of an air bender, wondering how this play could have affected these kids so much.

"No way. Katara's the best, because she gets that dreamy Jet and Zuko," the girl said, a dreamy look appearing on her face as she stared up at the scarred teen. Zuko looked to Suki for some help, wincing at the somewhat dangerous look on the girl's face.

"A-anyway, you kids should be running along," Zuko said, handing the poster back to the kid in the bald cap. He watched the trio shrug before running off past he and Suki, leaving them next to the fountain on their own. Zuko felt an oddly cool sensation along his back where he figured Suki was staring daggers at him.

"So, Zuko, how about we see this play?" she asked, more a statement than a question. Zuko thought about refusing, but the look in her eyes told him that it might be a better idea to choose a different battle to fight.

"Ugh, why would you want to see that?" he asked in return, hoping she would have a miraculous change of heart about the matter.

"The poster said it was well researched from various sources, so I'm curious as to where you fit into all of this. And I have to admit I am a bit curious about your role with Katara," Suki said, Zuko able to fill in the blanks that "curious" meant "insanely jealous". He thought of simply explaining the situation to her, but figured they had lots of time to kill as it was.

"Ah, fine. But I'm telling you right now, there's no way it could be too accurate," he said, more hopeful than confident. Suki looked around the town as she took a seat on the edge of the fountain, a small spray of clear, life giving fluid splashing against the back of her neck.

"Let me see when the next showing of the play is," Zuko said, excusing himself as Suki nodded gently towards the young man. She watched him disappear into the milling crowd, oddly sure footed in where he was heading. The girl nearly had to smack herself for forgetting that he had been here plenty of times in the past.

As the Sun beat down easily on the world below, Suki felt her skin warming quickly under its golden white glare. She was thankful for the gentle spray of water against her neck, glad that the water managed to fall in such a convenient way. But as she sat back, waiting for Zuko to return, she noticed a pair of shadows approaching her with what she could only describe as complete arrogance.

Groaning inwardly, Zuko turned away from the billboard holding the postings for the show times of the play. "Damn, it's not for another couple of hours," he complained, letting a small flame flicker from his lips as the frustration boiled over. Truthfully, he wasn't the least bit interested in the stupid play, but he knew better than to go against a girl's wishes in matters like that.

Rubbing at the bridge of his nose, he looked around the busy square, watching for any sign that he might have been recognized. He felt incomplete and oddly exposed without the comfort of his dark colored hood to drape over the disfiguring scar, his free hand gently tracing the mangled patch of skin.

Letting his hands fall from his still stressed face, his lips curled into a small smile, his golden eyes resting on a nearby shop. A familiar look graced one of the signs, and his stomach gave an almost approving growl as he stepped forward towards the inviting sight. Walking up to the small booth, he dug into his pocket for a few silver coins, watching he middle aged gentleman place a pair of scoops on the waffled cones at Zuko's order.

Placing the pair of silver coins onto the smooth countertop, he took the cones in hand, his mouth nearly drooling at the sight of the cool treat. The Sun continued its endless shower of warmth and light on the world below as Zuko took a small lick of the white treat. A cool shiver passed down his body as the ice cream slid down his throat. He felt all the tension about the play disappear at the taste of the simple treat, his lips curling into a genuine smile as he continued to occasionally lick the ice cream.

As he approached the clearing that held the small fountain where he had left Suki, he felt a bit of the tension reappear, catching sight of the younger girl between two oddly familiar boys. Looking at the pair, he tried to think back, his eyes widening in surprise before falling in disappointment.

"Great. Why did those two have to be here," he muttered to himself, putting in a conscious effort to stop from doing as he had done those weeks earlier and just gone off the deep end as they talked to his girl. But a smirk crossed his lips instead as he realized he could probably get some satisfaction without even doing anything on this occasion.

Taking another lick of his ice cream, Zuko started towards the fountain once again, almost bursting into a fit of laughter at the frustrated look on the face of the young Kyoshi girl. He could only imagine what she was thinking, having been around these particular two boys for longer than he had cared to.

"… kind of sucks, but it give us plenty of chance to throw parties," the leader of the two said, his voice still sounding of all the arrogance and aristocratic idiocy that one could possibly imagine.

Suki rolled her eyes as she listened to the pair drone on, lips pursed as she looked for a somewhat polite way to let the young men down. Blue green eyes widened as she noticed Zuko approach, a knowing smirk on his face. Hers almost lit up as she watched him approach, hands holding the pair of icy treats as he walked up right behind the pair of arrogant teens.

"Hey, what's going on?" Zuko asked, Suki giggling a bit at the innocent tone he managed to pull off, totally different to any voice she had heard him put on before. But she giggled a bit harder at the boys' reactions, their faces draining of all color as they turned towards the young man.

"Y-you! What are you doing here!?" the taller of the two boys asked, his topknot nearly quivering with the fear evident in his body. Suki would definitely have to get the story about this whole thing sometime, but for now she just stood, taking the larger of the iced treats in hand as she stood next to the scarred young man.

"Well, we're just her to kill some time, and who do I run into but you guys. Did you know that Chan and Ruon-Jian here are the coolest kids on Ember Island?" Zuko asked, turning his gaze towards Suki who plastered a fake look of surprise on her face at the "revelation".

"I had no idea. And here I was thinking that they were just two windbags trying to hit on a helpless girl," she said, Zuko chuckling a bit as the two's faces went from pale and frightened to angry, tones of red appearing on their cheeks at the insult hurled their way.

"How dare you. You obviously don't know who you're talking to," Chan said, his voice quivering as the anger mixed with fear, his mind flashing back to the events of his last party where Zuko had been grudgingly invited.

"Oh, no I do. Two idiots who aren't worth my time," Zuko said, shrugging his shoulders as he turned away from the pair of angered teens. The taller of the two boys grabbed Zuko by the shoulder, leaning in dangerously towards the scarred teen.

"That reminds me, I owe you for the last time," he said, his eyes darting side to side as a crowd began to gather around the spectacle. Zuko knew that neither Chan no Ruon-Jian were what would be called fighters, and that he could take them easily enough. But the last thing he wanted was a scene. Looking to Suki, he wordlessly asked for some kind of help, the girl smiling as she licked her ice cream.

"Aww, but we already have plans. I guess we'll be seeing you guys around," she answered easily, taking Zuko by the wrist with her free hand, sarcastically apologizing to the pair of jilted teens as the pair disappeared into the crowd.

"I hope those guys weren't bugging you too much," Zuko said, letting the anger bubble up just a bit at the mention of the pair of them. He hadn't put much thought into things like this when he had suggested to the group that they hide out on the island, but maybe he should have.

"Nah. Sure, they were pretty annoying, but it was cool the way they got freaked out just by hearing your voice. Very impressive," Suki said, in a way that suggested that she was keen on hearing the detailed explanation for just why that might be the case.

"Well, let's just say that it doesn't pay to piss off Azula," he said, catching onto her meaning as he took another lick of his ice cream cone, biting off a bit of the edge as the cool treat became less easily accessible.

"So when you were back home, all you did was whatever Azula wanted?" Suki asked, a gently teasing tone to her voice. Zuko thought for a moment, taking another bit of the dessert into his mouth.

"Most of the time I tried to do stuff on my own, but like I said, it doesn't pay to piss off Azula," he said, thinking of the times that the dark haired girl would just waltz into whatever he might be doing at the time, derailing any peace of mind he could have enjoyed.

"Sounds tough," Suki said sympathetically, imagining how hard it must have been, having been clued into only a little bit of the traumas of growing up with the twisted Fire Princess and their cruel father.

"Anyway, the play doesn't start for a couple of hours, so what do you want to do to pass the time?" he asked, eager to change the subject off of his torturous younger sister. Turning his gaze to the side, he watched the girl take a lick of her ice cream, her rose colored tongue brushing against the pale treat.

Somehow, as tasty as it had been for him, it looked that much more delicious when she ate it, her lips curling at the corners in a soft, contented smile as the cool treat did its job of pushing off the heat, if only a little bit. As Suki pulled the sweet dessert from her ruby lips, Zuko noticed a small spot of the white treat at the corner of her mouth.

"What is it?" she asked, her free hand resting on her hip as she raised a brow at the older boy. Zuko felt his eyes trying to shift away, but found them remaining locked on the girl's sweet looking lips. Reaching up lazily, he swiped his finger across the corner of her lips, pulling the spot of cream to his lips with a hazy smirk on his face.

"Sorry, you had some on your face," he said casually, taking the last bite of his own ice cream cone as he set off down the street once again. After a few steps, he felt a coolness on the back of his neck, like an icy grip on his neck. Turning around, he noticed the girl smiling intently at him, a white bulb heading right for his face.

Blinking a few times, he looked down his face, noticing a small splotch of white just on his good cheek where her ice cream had come into contact with his face. Confusion graced his features as the girl then leaned in casually, licking the spot clear of his pale skin. His eyes widened as she pulled back, teasingly licking her lips as she let the cool substance wash down her throat.

"Sorry, you had some on your face," she said seductively, sticking her tongue out as she went on ahead of the young man. He lowered his head a bit, shaking it gently from side to side as a smile crossed his face once again. Turning back towards the girl, he couldn't help but think on how much easier it seemed to be smiling around the bright, energetic girl.

"So, food before or after the play?" Zuko asked as he caught up with the girl, his hands hanging loosely at his sides as he walked. Suki stopped in her tracks, downing the last of her ice cream before turning to the young man.

"Dunno. What do you think?" she asked, the question so innocuous it caught him a bit off guard. His golden eyes gazed into her deep blue spheres, her eyes almost like their own vast ocean that he could see any time he wanted.

"How about we just relax for a bit, then hit the play?" Zuko responded, motioning over to a well covered spot a short distance away. Suki nodded in agreement as they headed towards a small clearing, the park bustling with visitors.

Leaning up against the heavy tree, Zuko slumped down to the ground, the cool offered by the heavy shade soothing against the heat of the beach Sun. Suki slumped down next to him, her back against his side as the heat from their dark toned clothes died beneath the rustling shade.

They watched as kids ran about, youthful shouts of excitement sounding in the wide open of the park. Simple games earned great excitement, and Zuko and Suki felt a mutual sense of calm as they watched the innocent actions of the potentially future soldiers of the Fire Nation military.

Wordlessly the two's hands entwined, fingers brushing against fingers as they drew closer, enjoying the calming warmth of the other beneath the comfortably large tree. Sunlight lightly filtered through the thick canopy above them, dotting the darkened grass with odd streaks of bright light.

They each watched as the lights seemed to dance along with the rustling leaves, the swaying branches offering new avenues for the light to pass through as it obscured old routes for the warming rays. Zuko watched as a mother approached a crying child, soothing the anguish of the young boy as she rubbed his knee where he had scraped it. The sight brought back thoughts of his own mother, how much he had missed her growing up.

"Zuko, can I ask you something?" Suki asked a bit uncertainly, her rust colored hair swaying around her face as the wind blew by them. Zuko looked at the young girl, his serious expression fading at the sight of her.

"Sure, what is it?" he asked in return, feeling her head nestle against his shoulder. She seemed to pause for a moment, like she was considering whether or not to ask the question that she had on her mind. "Come on, what is it?" he asked, tilting her head up towards him, sensing her hesitation. He watched her lips part as she took in a small breath, eyes locking with his as she spoke.

"Zuko, do you want kids?" she asked, a faint blush on her cheeks to mirror the light rose color on Zuko's own face. He felt his heart speed up a bit at the thought, his mind racing with negatives and positives of the situation.

"Aren't we too young?" he asked, earning a light punch in the arm from the young girl, barely a nudge compared to what Toph might do.

"I didn't mean right now, you idiot," she cautioned, unable to suppress the light giggle that escaped his lips at her question. "I mean, somewhere down the road, when we're ready, would you want kids?" she asked, gently biting her lower lip as she listened to his breathing, feeling the reassuring rise and fall of his chest against her cheek.

"I don't know," he answered honestly, the embarrassed blush draining as his face slipped into a look of sadness and fear. "My family has never been the most even keel, and there is a history of bad parents. How could I bring a kid into that?" he asked, the sadness staining his words as the syllables poured out.

"Zuko…" Suki whispered, pulling away from the young man. Placing her left hand on his right cheek, she watched the tension of sadness fall away, slowly but surely. "You're not your family, you know? You're yourself, and I have a feeling that you'd make a really good dad," she said, smiling warmly at the young man.

"How can you be so sure? How do you know I wouldn't just be as cruel and messed up as my father was, or my grandfather or my great grandfather?" he asked, the words jumbling together as they slipped from his lips.

"Because I know you, Zuko. You're not the monster that your father wanted you to be. You stood up to him, and you're doing your best to end this whole crazy war. You're a good person, Zuko, and you can't just undo that with a snap of the fingers," Suki explained, watching his lips slowly curl into a smile as she encouraged him.

"You really think so?" he asked, still feeling a hint of the uncertainty over the prospect.

"Of course. But you have to stop being so worried about all that stuff. You have to look ahead, you know?" Suki said, Zuko nodding in agreement. The young man wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her slender body closer to his own. Suki responded by placing her hand lazily on his stomach, her head resting gently against his chest.

"Well, if you're so confident then I guess I would like to have a family of my own someday," he answered honestly, picturing a small family, not too different from the one he had grown up in.

"A big one, or a little one?" Suki asked, closing her eyes beneath the shade of the tree, letting the calming rustle of leaves and soft breathing fill her senses, her mind showing her images of a peaceful family life.

"I don't know. It doesn't really matter either way," he said, craning his neck down towards the younger girl, "since it's your family, too," he added, smiling as the girl cooed just a bit at the thought.

"And what makes you think I want a family at all?" she asked, more teasingly than serious as she cracked one eye open.

"I figured you wouldn't ask unless you'd thought about it. So, how about it?" he asked, rubbing his thumb along the smooth skin of her shoulder.

"I don't know. Won't your advisors and stuff like that be quite upset if you were to have a child with a lowly girl from the Earth Kingdom?" she asked, quirking a brow upward to hide her genuine curiosity for an answer to that particular question.

"That doesn't matter to me. If it comes down to it, I could probably just have uncle take over for me, and I can just give up the throne. That is, if they don't want to get used to Fire Lady Suki," he said, somewhat jokingly hanging on the title.

"Hmm. Fire Lady Suki, huh? I kinda like the sound of that," she said, an amused smile gracing her lips at the thought of being all decked out in fancy robes and dresses, having all kinds of servants on hand to cater to her every whim. "But, I don't want to just give up my home and just move to a strange country," she said sadly, the amusement over being the potential Lady of an entire nation fading as she thought of her simple village, her friends in the Kyoshi Warriors.

"Suki…" he murmured, clasping his arm tighter around the young girl. The auburn haired girl sighed heavily, leaning more heavily into his strong embrace. "Don't worry, we'll think of something. I mean, if we can stop a war that has been going on for a hundred years, surely we can think of a way to live a life together," he reasoned, the simplicity and lack of details brightening the girl's smile.

"Zuko?" she murmured lazily, her reddish brown locks splayed out across his dark toned tunic.

"What is it?" he asked, his fingers gripping the smooth skin on her shoulder, clutching at her desperately as though she would disappear if he were to let her go.

"It feels really nice when you say my name like that," she admitted, blushing a bit at the admission. "And I think you're right; we can think of something," she added, looking up into his soft gold eyes.

"About time you came around," he teased, leaning down and capturing her lips with his as she leaned up. As he lost himself in the soft kiss, Zuko hoped that they didn't end up missing the play. He'd hate to see what Suki would have planned to get him back for that.

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**I apologize for constantly changing my plans, but as I said, it would be weird (to me, anyway) to insert a whopping 10000 word chapter right in the middle here, so 2 chapters of more manageable size. Next time we get the pair's reactions to the play (should be tricky) and some good times at dinner (should be really fluffy). Look forward to that, faithful readers.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Plays and Playful Thoughts**

**Rating: K+**

**Chapter 15 of our little story, the conclusion of Zuko and Suki's date. This one was fun to write, and it gave me chances to put in a little fluff. I tried to keep it from getting too out of control, and I still almost ended up having to make a third chapter of it. But hopefully it turned out alright. Again, thoughts welcome, especially if someone is too OOC here. Otherwise, enjoy.

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Letting the back of his head rest against the rough bark of the tall tree, Zuko let his fingers casually run through the girl's thick yet soft hair. The silky feel of her rust toned tresses was lost on him as his mind wandered, the rare moment of peace affording him an opportunity to do something that had not been a part of his childhood.

Dreaming.

He daydreamed about a future, a life without the war looming large over his head, without manipulative relatives or unrelenting cruelty from his father. The girl's soft cooing brought his golden gaze down towards her face, her head resting gently on his lap as he stroked her hair, a warm, content smile on her face.

The soft sounds caused the young man to smile, imagining what kind of mother this young warrior would make. She had confidence that he could be a good father, so he had no doubt that she would make a great mother. Her kindness, with the ability to be firm when needed was something he found reassuring himself.

His smile lifted to a light chuckle at the thought of the young girl scolding a son for knocking over some piece of finery. The sound of his gentle laugh brought the girl back to reality herself, ocean blue eyes opening as she stared effortlessly up at him.

"What's so funny?" she asked, ruby lips looking so tantalizing to him as she spoke. He let the chuckle fade, staring deeply into the greenish blue pools above her lips. The deep pools of blue seemed to almost sparkle in the small amount of filtered sunlight, the intensity of the blazing ball having faded after the time they had spent beneath the large tree.

"Oh, it's nothing," he lied, the girl's lips pursing as she knew better.

"Come on, Zuko," she said, gently pleading with the older boy. The scarred Prince gave her a secretive smile, his right palm coming to rest on her soft cheek.

"I was just imaging how strict you would be with your kids," he said, his cheeks warming once more with the thought.

"My kids? Don't you mean _our_ kids?" she corrected, a playful smile gracing her lips as she pulled into a sitting position on the boy's lap. Zuko's eyes widened a shade at the sudden movement, not entirely unpleasant sensations of warmth rising into his stomach.

"That's right," he accepted, shifting the girl a bit in his lap, allowing his arms to snake beneath her arms, resting gently around her waist as he held her close. Suki responded by pressing her head against his chest, the soft scent of ash and embers filling her nostrils as it rose from his body.

"So, when does the play start?" she asked, feeling his natural warmth as it emanated from his entire body, passing easily through the thin layers of clothing separating them. Zuko's gaze lifted to the sky, watching the slightly darker tones make their way across the once brilliant blue expanse.

"Should be pretty soon. We should probably head over there now," he said simply, feeling the girl shift a bit against him. She sighed in almost defeat, before extricating herself from his lap, offering him a hand to get him to his feet. Clasping her hand, he let her pull him easily to his feet, a shared smile passing between the two.

"So, have you ever seen these guys before?" Suki asked, curious as to just what Zuko's level of culture might be. The young man brushed a few stray blades of grass from his dark pants, before straightening the dark red tunic.

"A few times. My mom would bring us out here to see them perform, and they always did a really lousy job with 'Love Amongst the Dragons'," he said, Suki's face showing a mock sort of being impressed by the knowledge.

"Wow, never had you figured for a theater fan," she joked, watching his eyes roll in his head at the light jab.

"Like I said, my mom dragged us out to see them. I guess she wanted us to do something like a family," he said, a distinct hint of sadness on his voice at the mention of his missing mother.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" she began, Zuko shaking his head before she could continue her apology.

"It's alright. I guess I do give off the impression that I wouldn't be into all that kind of stuff, and really, I never was before," he explained, starting off back towards the small town with Suki keeping pace to his left.

"Before? So, you're into that stuff now?" she asked, quirking a brow upward as she gazed at the young man. He groaned a bit in response, thinking of what they were in store when they saw the play.

"Well, maybe not everything along those lines, but I would say that I feel at least a little more relaxed," he said, thinking of how deathly serious he had been traveling along with his uncle. He wondered what his uncle would say if he could see him now, acting at least somewhat like a normal teenager.

"That's not saying much. Anything is an improvement over 'Get out here Avatar!'," Suki teased, lowering her voice a few shades as she imitated the speech the young man had given upon arriving at Kyoshi Island. Zuko responded with an embarrassed groan, then a nudge to the girl's side.

"Yeah, I get it," he said, feeling a surge of embarrassed anger as the girl just burst into a short fit of laughter. She seemed to find too much pleasure in prodding the once angry, moody Fire Prince.

"Aww, lighten up Zuko. You have to learn to loosen up a bit," Suki prodded, returning his nudge as they slowly approached the theater where the play was to be performed. Looking again at the poster, Zuko felt a sense of foreboding, that he was going to truly regret seeing this play.

"Are you sure that you want to see this? These guys are pretty lousy," he suggested, hoping the auburn haired girl would change her mind in regards to the activities for the rest of the day. All hope of that was dashed as the girl smirked at him before grabbing his hand again.

"Well, knowing how much you don't want to see it just makes it that much more interesting," she said, tugging him towards the ticket booth. Figuring that he was stuck now, he reached into his pockets, pulling out the necessary silver coins for a pair of tickets. Handing one to Suki, the pair then headed inside to find good seats.

Not wanting to be spotted among the large number of people, the two settled into a somewhat large box seat, settling at one end of the front most of the pair of benches near a wall separating it from the next box over. Zuko and Suki watched as people continued to pour into the venue, filling all the seats beneath them slowly but surely.

Zuko couldn't shake the foreboding feeling he had gotten earlier, his feet tapping irritatingly against the carved stone of the floor. Noticing his nervous twitching, Suki placed a hand on his thigh, calming the twitchy muscles.

"Come on Zuko, I can't enjoy the play if you're all freaked out, so just relax. It's just a play," she reasoned, the scarred boy nodding weakly in response. Turning his focus to the stage, he watched as a few stagehands made the last minute preparations before the act started. Dull thuds and slight echoes could be heard from backstage, and Zuko wondered exactly what they might be doing back there.

Relaxing a bit, he leaned against the firm back of the simple bench, Suki settling in next to him as she leaned against him casually. He smiled at the gesture, wondering what exactly had made him feel so nervous in the first place.

".. Aang, this will be good to help you relax," his body tensed almost immediately, his eyes darting to the right, molten gold meeting deep blue as they listened to the conversation grow closer.

"She's right Aang, this is just the kind of thing we've been missing lately," the distinctive voice sounded heavily, drawing the teen's eyes towards the heavy red curtain. As one might have expected, Sokka was the first of the quartet to come through the curtain, his blue eyes widening more than a little at the sight of the two teens on the opposing end of the bench.

Smiles died down as the rest of the group came into the small box, awkward tension filling the space between them as Zuko and Suki came face to face with the rest of the Avatar's group.

"What are you doing here?" Katara asked, Suki's eyes narrowing a bit at the ice in the younger girl's tone of voice. The two girls stared one another down, a veritable battle of wills taking place in the span of only a few seconds.

"Well, we're here on a date," Suki answered, smirking at the slightly flustered look on Katara's face. "Not that you'd know much about that," she added, resting her head on Zuko's shoulder as she stared at the young water bender. Zuko found himself wishing he were just about anywhere else at that moment, a moment he could see echoed on the face of the young Avatar.

"W-well, let's not cause any trouble here," Aang said, once again finding himself playing peacekeeper between two angry girls. Katara reluctantly agreed, turning in a huff away from the young warrior girl.

"Thanks Aang," Zuko said, nodding carefully towards the younger boy. "Look, if you guys want, we can just go somewhere else," he offered, hoping that he could get away from watching the play and somehow make some measure of peace with the group at the same time.

"No way, if they want they can share the box with us, but we're seeing this play," Suki explained, leaving little room for Zuko to argue the point. He thought of pointing out how awkward it would be to share a box, but he figured that it would be a moot point, and that Katara and Sokka would never go for it.

"Alright," Zuko's face fell as Sokka accepted it, seemingly grudgingly. The wolf tailed boy took the farthest possible seat from Zuko and Suki, Katara and Aang looking somewhat confusedly to one another before looking to Sokka. Noticing the confused stares, Sokka raised his hand to speak. "Look, I kind of want to see this play, and I don't think we would be able to find more private seats than these," he explained, the statement making enough sense to satisfy his indignant sister.

"If you're alright with it, then I guess we can handle it for a few hours," Katara said, sliding into the seat next to Sokka, Aang following suit and filling the seat to Katara's right. Not knowing what else to do, Toph slid into the seat in the front, sliding right next to Zuko.

"Hope you don't mind if I sit here, but it's a little too moody back there," Toph leaned up, whispering into Zuko's ear. The scarred teen smiled, starting to nod before catching himself remembering that the girl couldn't see him.

"That's alright with me," he said, watching the girl lean back against the firm back of the bench. Feeling a bit of relief, Zuko turned his attention to the stage, watching as the lights dimmed, leaving the auditorium in darkness. A single light flickered on as the crowd went silent, the curtains pulling back to reveal the actors portraying the pair of Water Tribe siblings.

The group silenced, the awkward tension passing as they watched the actors portray their characters. None were pleased with their actors' representations, especially Aang and Katara. Zuko felt as though he could not deny too much of what his character had portrayed, the events stinging him in the chest as he watched the mistakes of his past displayed on the stage.

Suki gave his hand a reassuring squeeze as the events continued to unfold, the young man sharing an awkward look as the Blue Spirit made its appearance, a sheen of embarrassment on the young man's face at the playful smirk pulling at Suki's lips. He had a feeling that he was going to hear it from her at some point.

Finally it was the end of the first act, and the base trio of the Avatar's group could not get out of the auditorium fast enough, disappearing beyond the rustling red curtain with Toph slowly following after them. Zuko leaned his head roughly against the backing of the hard wooden bench, watching as the lights came back on gently.

"Wow, I had no idea the Blue Spirit was so devoted to getting back at the Fire Nation," Suki teased, propping her feet up on the banister lining the edge of the box. Zuko simply groaned, finding that she was having far too much fun with it.

"Obviously this writer did no research. It wasn't anything like that," he muttered, propping his arms up on the railing a short distance away from Suki's feet. He played back the entire first act in his mind, cringes coursing through his body at each angst inducing scene.

"But you really were too serious, Zuko. I'm surprised you made it long enough to change sides," she teased, wondering how they could have gotten the scar's location wrong on the actor's face.

"Now you sound like my uncle," he said, chuckling a bit at the thought. The laugh did not go unnoticed, and Suki's lips pursed as she pulled her feet from their perch on the railing. Staring right at the young man, she watched his face turn towards her, the scar obscured from her vision.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked, her tone giving him a clear message that he better choose his next words carefully.

"That you can't just look out for me all the time," he answered simply, his lips still curled into a small smile as she leaned back a bit away from him.

"Whatever. Some appreciation would be nice," she said, feigning hurt at his seemingly callous remarks. The young man responded by leaning to the side, planting a soft kiss on the girl's smooth cheek.

"I am appreciative. It's just this play is really irritating to watch," he explained, slumping back against the support of the bench.

"Well, at least you're actually in the stupid thing. I was only in that one scene where Sokka was talking about his butt," Suki groaned, feeling an unexplainable jealousy of all the rest of the group's appearance in the play.

"I would trade you if I could," Zuko offered, wishing that he could somehow have been left out of the play. To see these actors mess up a play was one thing, but to see them mess up and badly portray his own life was something else entirely.

"Well, I guess I don't mind THAT much," Suki joked, earning another small smile from the young man. Leaning back next to him, the two joked about the other parts of the play, joking about how dissatisfied Sokka and Katara and Aang were with their actors.

"I don't know what Sokka could be upset about, they seem to have gotten his character right," Suki said, a finger on her chin in thought. Zuko laughed a bit at that, wondering what the Water Tribe boy would say if he heard such a statement.

"I'm not sure I would agree with how they portrayed Katara either, given the ways I've seen her act," Zuko said, shuddering a bit with the thought. Next thing he knew, a hard pressure had run across his head, his hands instinctively flying up to the suddenly aching spot on the back of his head.

"God, you're such a child, Zuko," Katara cautioned, a faint blush on her cheeks as she slipped into her seat next to Sokka. Her stare stopped the giggling of the two boys on either side of her, leaving Toph laughing hysterically at Zuko's punishment.

"What the heck did I do…" he wondered to himself, as the lights died down for the second act of the atrocious play. The second act went similar to the first, save for Toph's unexplainable enthusiastic support of her actor. Zuko felt a twinge of jealousy, watching the younger girl's portrayal kick so much butt, while dealing out witty remarks at the same time.

Zuko had to fight back a sarcastic chuckle as the play went on, reaching the scene where Suki's Kyoshi Warriors were handled with ease by Azula and her two partners, something he could relate to on a personal level. But that didn't mean he couldn't find it funny. He caught Suki huff a bit before turning her attention away from the stage at that moment, more out of frustration than embarrassment.

He watched with more than a little confusion at the portrayal of Jet's apparent "death" in Lake Laogai, the event filling him with a sense of some guilt, remembering his run in with the young man. But the scene that stuck in his mind most was the display of how he had split apart from his uncle. The moment forced a lump to form in his throat, the unpleasant feeling making him feel extremely uncomfortable. He didn't chance a look at the rest of the Avatar's group at that, but he felt a pair of hands gripping his.

Looking to the left, he was surprised to see Toph easily clasping his fingers, a curiosity running through his mind at the girl's actions that eh would have to satiate at a later time, when the play was not going on. But he most calming effect was from the slender fingers of his newest ally, his golden eyes resting on her as she gave him a reassuring smile.

Once the second act was over, Katara disappeared quickly, following after Aang who had left following the all important scene between Katara and Zuko beneath Ba Sing Se. Toph and Sokka followed, the Water Tribe boy complaining about his snacks as they made their way to the concessions stand.

"Zuko, I had no idea that you and Katara had gotten so close. What the heck happened?" Suki asked, wondering how they could seemingly get so close, and then become such bitter enemies.

"I couldn't just listen to my conscience, and I listened to Azula instead," he said simply, turning his gaze away from the younger girl. Suki responded by smacking him gently on the head, his eyes narrowing a bit as he stared back towards her.

"Come on, Zuko. I told you before to stop being all mopey. It's all in the past, so just forget about it. Besides, I think there's another reason she's at your throat now, right?" Suki suggested, her face set in a somewhat serious expression as her eyes glanced over the mostly empty auditorium.

"That's easy for you to say. You've always been on the side of justice and all that stuff. You didn't listen to the blue dragon, even after all your real guardian did for you," he said, the blue dragon a clear reference to the young Fire Princess.

"Zuko, it's understandable, you know? I mean, I don't think anyone would have an easy time denying themselves what they have always wanted if someone offered it to them," Suki said, the words sweet salve to his opened wound. He gazed at her almost dumbfounded, before smiling warmly at her.

"Thanks, Suki. But something tells me that you'd be able to," he said, earning a confused glance from the young girl.

"What gives you that idea?"

"Well, you're so strong, and idealistic. I don't think you'd be so easily tempted," Zuko offered, noting the light blush on her cheeks as he praised her good qualities. The younger girl smiled at him before speaking again.

"But you're forgetting something important, Zuko," she said, his brows quirking upward as he tried to think about it. "I already gave into temptation once, and I lost my friends as a result of it, even though it's probably only temporary," she explained, Zuko's smile growing sad at the girl's words.

"I'm sorry. I never meant to come between you and your friends," he said, the girl's lips finding his to prevent him from going all mopey.

"Well, you can be sorry about it if you want, but I'm not. So you shouldn't be either," she said, offering him another small kiss. "But you never told me you and Katara were quite that close," she said, teasing the young man a bit further.

"Like I said, this guy obviously didn't do his research that well. It wasn't anything like that. I mean, it might have been, but obviously it wasn't," he explained, hoping he was making some sense.

"What does that mean?" she asked, clearly wanting a clearer explanation. Zuko set about explaining the events of what had happened beneath Ba Sing Se, watching Suki's face change throughout it. Explaining himself somehow gave him the impression that it could certainly be something one would read into in that direction.

"All that happened was she offered to heal my scar," he finished, rubbing his fingers at the rough patch of skin on his face. Suki slumped back against the bench, clearly thinking things over a bit.

"Well, I guess that makes sense. So, you want to see the end, or are you ready for dinner? I'm feeling kind of hungry myself," Suki said, having seen the part of the play she had mainly come for. Zuko was all too eager to agree, nearly bowling over Aang and his friends on his way out the door.

"Zuko? Suki? Aren't you guys going to watch the end of the play?" Aang asked, his eyes blinking a few times as the pair of older teens stopped a short distance away.

"Nah, I think I've seen enough. I already saw what I wanted to see," Suki said, leaving the insinuation open to the young water bender before Zuko dragged her away. The gang looked to one another, shrugging weakly before heading back inside to see how the play ended.

Zuko felt a heavy sense of relief wash over him as they entered the dimly lit town square, lanterns lit all about the paved plaza. Stopping near the fountain, he plopped down on the edge of the fountain, which had become a sort of place of escape for him. Scanning the square, he looked for a place that might serve as a good eating spot.

"Ah, how about there?" he said lazily, pointing towards a nearby restaurant. The restaurant looked simple enough, a normal diner with a few people filling some of the seats inside as they enjoyed their food.

"Looks good," Suki said, catching Zuko's arm by the elbow as she followed him over towards the small diner. The structure of the place was in line with the other structures of the small island, like a scaled back version of the Palace City. Stone looking walls were topped with a deep red roof, the gold lining catching the faint torchlight in front of the place.

A small bell went off as they entered, the pair quickly greeted by a server. Indicating that they wanted a table for two, the young lady quickly bowed respectfully, nodding towards a distant table near a window. Zuko and Suki followed the girl, who gave secretive glances back towards the young man.

The black haired girl bumped clumsily into their table, blushing furiously as she bowed in apology to the young couple. Zuko shrugged his shoulders as they took their seats, the girl again bowing in apology before handing them their menus. Zuko watched as the girl walked away, the red skirt hanging loosely to her knees swaying with each step.

"I think that girl was checking you out," Suki said, just the faintest touch of jealousy on her voice as she spoke, gaining Zuko's attention.

"Nah, I'm sure she was just nervous or something," he said, opening his menu to look over the delicious looking foods. Each item looked good, but his eyes settled on a simple bowl of ramen, heavily spiced with peppers and other such treats found in the Fire Nation. Suki likewise ordered a bowl of rice, topped with a few slivers of cooked fish and a cup of spiced tea.

Calling the waitress over, Zuko placed the order, handing the young girl the menus. She seemed to blush a bit as he spoke, fumbling with the small pad of paper in her hands as she wrote. Taking the menus, the girl then headed over to the counter, leaving Zuko a bit confused.

"Told ya," Suki said, watching as Zuko nodded a bit. "It must be nice, having all the girls fawning over you all the time," she teased, causing the young man to prop his head on the small table in front of him.

"I never noticed it before," Zuko said honestly, the statement catching the girl a bit by surprise. He watched with some curiosity as her sea blue eyes widened a bit, her back leaning against her seat as she stared at him.

"You're not serious, are you?" she asked, wondering how it could possibly be the case that he never noticed girls swooning over him.

"Why the heck would I lie about something like that? In case you forgot, I usually had more serious things to worry about," he said, his voice more serious than he had intended it to be. Muttering a soft apology for that, he thought about how any girl could find him attractive beyond his scar.

"Just because of the scar?" Suki asked, as though reading his mind.

"You have to admit, it's kind of hard to miss," he said cynically, mindlessly touching the outline of the patch of hardened skin, wincing a bit as though the wound were still fresh against his touch.

"True. But I don't know. It kind of give you… character. I think without it, you'd look like one of those lunkheads from earlier," Suki said, waving her hand morbidly in dismissal of the vapid punks they had met earlier that day. Zuko smiled a bit at that, not having much experience in someone referring to the scar as anything but a horrible disfigurement.

"Thanks," he said simply, grateful for the kind words. "But you get your fair share of attention yourself," he added, smirking as the girl fidgeted just a bit in her seat.

"Stop, it's not nice to make fun of people you know," she said, little force behind her words, which prompted him to push further.

"I mean, when we were walking around town, I don't think all the stares were at me for my "costume"," he said, a feeling of annoyance flashing through his mind as he recalled the play.

"You think so?"

"And you think I'm clueless. Look, you don't need me to tell you this but… you're pretty, you know? Beautiful, in fact," he spoke, feeling a sort of embarrassment as the words slipped from his lips. But his discomfort disappeared as he caught sight of the warm smile gracing the girl's lips.

"Here's your order," the nervous girl said, Zuko nearly having a heart attack at the seemingly sudden intrusion into his thoughts. Suki giggled as he stiffened up, nearly knocking the tray out of the poor girl's hand in his tension.

A few mumbled apologies later, the waitress had left, leaving the pair of lovers alone at their table. Steam rose from both dishes as well as the accompanying cups of tea. Zuko took a whiff of his tea, letting the aroma rise to his nostrils. It didn't have the same fragrance as the tea brewed by his uncle, but he doubted any tea would. Not that he was an expert on the matter.

Pulling a pair of chopsticks from the cylindrical container, he broke them apart before slipping the twin sticks of wood into the steaming bowl of ramen. Twirling it around a few times, he gathered a good amount at the tip, before pulling it up towards his mouth. The intense flavor of the spices packed into the noodles stung his mouth a little, a long forgotten spice flavor filling him with an intense warmth.

As he slurped down the noodles, the young man nearly choked as he observed Suki nearly wolfing down her rice, her hands a near blur of motion. It was probably something she had picked up from Sokka, but it still took him a bit by surprise.

"Is it that good?" he asked, dipping his chopsticks again into the steaming broth to gather a few more noodles to eat. Suki stopped for a moment, a dark red flush on her cheeks to contrast with the odd grain of rice on her smooth skin.

"Oh, sorry. It's just that when you eat around Sokka, you either eat it fast, or you don't get any," she said, Zuko smiling at the thought of how the Water Tribe boy ate. It was indeed a good idea to learn to eat quickly when eating at the same table as the younger boy.

"I get that. But you didn't seem to have any trouble last night," he added, slurping a second mouthful of the spicy noodles into his mouth. Suki prodded at the serving of fish topping her rice, the blush fading a bit as the scent filled her nostrils.

"Well, this food actually is really good. The spices just make it practically burst with flavor," she said, taking a slightly more reserved bite of her food. Suki nearly groaned as she noticed how little was left in her bowl, the food having been devoured with little attention paid to its taste.

Taking a sip of her spiced tea, she felt the hot liquid rush down her throat, washing down the spicy flavor of the fish. Suki watched as Zuko continued to slurp his noodles, almost feeling as though he were taunting her. But that was ridiculous. She shook the thought from her mind, but found her eyes again staring at the tantalizing substance, watching as he scooped another helping into his mouth.

"Zuko, I don't suppose you might want to share some of that?" she asked, suddenly feeling a little bad for not ordering that herself. He blinked at her a few times, before seemingly disregarding her statement, or not hearing it fully. Suki's ruby lips pursed as she propped her chin in her hands, watching as he continued to slurp down the spicy food.

The odd desire for the spicy delicacy grew, until a devilish idea popped into her mind. As Zuko let the final mass of noodles slip between his lips, Suki leaned across the table, capturing his lips with hers as she sucked the latter half of the mass of noodles past her lips. The spicy flavor emanated from both his lips and the warm noodles, his eyes widening in surprise as she was nearly kneeling atop the small table.

Chomping down gently, she pulled back, licking her lips as the noodles slipped down her throat. "Yeah, I should have gotten those instead," she said teasingly, taking a long sip of her warm tea. Zuko simply blinked a few times in surprise, thought gradually coming back to his mind.

Looking around the small restaurant, his face lit up in a blush as he noticed the looks on the faces of the other patrons. Choking down the broth in the bowl then the cup of spiced tea, the young man excused himself, Suki following slowly after him. Reaching in his pockets, he emptied them of most of the coinage he still had on him, tossing it on the counter as he made his way out of the restaurant.

"Come on, Zuko, it wasn't that bad was it?" she said, leaning forward so that their faces were even. The scarred teen came to a stop, staring into the deep blue of her eyes, his heart beating a bit quicker in his chest.

"It wasn't bad…" he muttered, remembering the taste of spiced fish from her own lips.

"Well then, what's next?" she asked, taking a few steps in front of the young man. Rocking back and forth on her heels, Suki looked around the darkened town, the bright moon above peeking out from its hiding place behind the horizon as the Sun retired for the evening.

"I don't know. How about sleep?" he asked, feeling the exhaustion of the day wearing on him. He had walked quite a bit, and contrary to the younger girl, he had not taken the opportunity to take a nap beneath the large tree in the park.

"Aww, no fun. How about something sweet for dessert," she said, bounding off towards another small shop, a small torch outlining the word 'Candy' quite clearly. Zuko groaned as he chased after the girl, grudgingly entering the small shop. The scent of cinnamon hung heavily in the air of the sweets shop, Suki carefully looking over the sweet treats.

Zuko made his way right to the counter, dropping a pair of silver pieces on the counter as he ordered a single cinnamon flavored candy. Popping the fiery treat into his mouth, he nodded in thanks to the store owner, rolling his eyes as he made his way out of the shop.

"Hey, what's the big idea, leaving a sweet, helpless girl alone like that?" Suki pouted, popping a fire gummy into her mouth. "I mean, it was sweet of you to just pay like that, but what if someone had come in and just abducted me?" she said, feigning helplessness that he knew she didn't possess.

"I'd feel pretty bad for the guy who makes that decision," he said, sucking on the hardened candy in his mouth as he headed towards the direction of the beach house. Suki nudged him in the side as she chomped on another gummy, the hot substance bursting quickly in her mouth before mellowing into a sweeter sensation.

"Well, I guess that's alright if you're just that confident in my abilities," she said, leaning her head against his shoulder as they walked. Zuko wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her body close as they steadily made their way along the isolated path to the comfortable beach house, the familiarity of it giving him a sense of relaxation after the long day.

As they entered the fancy corridors, Zuko felt a weight begin to tug on his eyelids, encouraging him to get to sleep. His mind emptied itself of all thoughts. Thoughts of the Avatar, the upcoming final battle, of the stupid play all left his mind, save for one. Turning his eyes to the side, he found his thoughts resting on the young girl in his arms.

The moon's light filtered through the crack in the curtain before Zuko pulled it closed, the solid drape blocking out all the light from the bright sphere in the sky. Turning towards the bed, he smiled at the sight that greeted him, the satin sheets flung open revealing the younger girl again dressed in one of his fine silk shirts.

"I guess you're sleeping here again?" he asked as he slid into bed, the girl pressing her body against his side. Throwing her arm lazily over his body, the girl snuggled up to the young man, her mind dancing with thoughts of the pleasant day they had spent together. She wondered to herself if, after the war, they would be able to enjoy times like this all the time, to enjoy the company of one another in whatever way they might decide.

"Unless you have a problem with it," she said, knowing that he would not say that he did have a problem. Zuko responded by placing his arm around her shoulders, pulling her tighter against him. He let the soft scent of cinnamon drift to his nose, knowing that it was the scent from her soft, ruby lips.

"Not if you don't," he said, smiling as his eyes closed to the darkness filling the room. Likewise closing her eyes, the girl planted a soft kiss to his cheek before letting herself drift off to sleep. "But, Suki?" he asked, the girl's eyes opening gently, turning her gaze towards the young man's face.

"What is it, Zuko?" she asked, rubied lips pulling into a smile as he leaned forward, capturing her lips with his. The doubly intense taste of cinnamon passed between them as Zuko bit down on the hard candy, the small shards seemingly melting in his mouth before being passed onto her. The girl moaned a bit into his mouth as his tongue traced the outline of her lips, savoring the sweet taste of her candy treat.

"I was still a little hungry," he whispered, closing his eyes as the girl playfully smacked him.

"Geez, that's not nice," she said, trying to get her heart to stop beating, to get her breathing back to normal. She had a feeling it was going to be that much harder to sleep that night.

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**So, there is chapter 15. Next time we get into the retelling of the series, which as I said I am REALLY nervous about. Hopefully I can make it at least somewhat believable. Anyway, next chapter Aang goes missing, and guess who the gang comes to for help? Will it go smoothly, or are bumpy times in store for the group? Until next time, good readers.**

**Also, last night a random idea popped into my head that I may or may not write. A sort of Zuko x Ty Lee x Jin x Suki story. More a comedy/romance than anything else, it just made me smile to imagine Zuko in a situation like that. Thoughts on that are welcome as well, but as I said, may or may not write it. Still loving the Zuki, after all ^_^  
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	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Towards the Conclusion**

**Rating: K+**

**Chapter 16 of the story ready for your enjoyment. Not totally thrilled with this one. Lighter on the Zuko x Suki moments compared to earlier installments, but I hope it turned out alright anyway. So, this is where we get into the part of the story where it recounts the alternate version of 'Sozin's Comet' and all that good stuff. Let me know as usual if I messed anything up. Enjoy the chapter, good readers.

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"Okay, is everything ready to go?" Sokka asked, fastening the rolled up sleeping bags and other supplies to the saddle of the large bison. The beast seemed to roar in acknowledgement of the young man, drawing a smile from the sarcastic lad.

"Well, it's not like we're not used to this by now," Toph said, rolling her vacant eyes at the young man. Digging her toes into the shifting sand at her feet, the younger girl turned her sightless gaze in the direction of the royal beach house.

"I just don't want to forget anything," the boy with the wolf tail spoke, his own gaze shifting in the same direction as Toph. At the sight of the fancy home, the young man felt a pang of grief in his heart, imagining the two other teens on their own in the house. Closing his crystal blue eyes, he turned his vision away, jumping off of Appa to stretch out a bit before their trip.

"How the heck could we forget anything? It's not like there's a lot to forget," Toph joked, feeling Sokka tense up a bit with that thought. The boy's stomach rumbled a bit, and she could just imagine the frown crossing his face as his hands clutched the grumbling organ.

"Don't remind me," he said sadly, and somehow Toph could tell that he wasn't talking about any material possession. The girl's natural smile died down a bit as she felt Sokka lean against the side of the large flying animal, his body's weight all slumping back at once.

Not being one for words of encouragement, the blind girl simply sidled up to the young man, leaning against the flying animal next to the sometimes dull witted boy. She had a feeling that if she tried her usual sarcasm and biting sense of humor that it would only make the boy sulk further, giving her a sense of uneasiness.

As the two sat together in an uneasy silence, Katara made her way from the small overhang of rock above their little campsite. Dusting the traces of sand and grass from her dark colored clothing, her brows knit together as she scanned the surroundings. She saw her brother and Toph resting against the large bison, and she knew that Zuko and Suki were still lounging at the Royal beach house.

A short burst of disappointment and anger passed through her mind as her eyes wandered subconsciously towards the structure, imagining the pair of them smiling and laughing, enjoying each other's company. The anger died down a bit, the bitter feeling replaced with something more like jealousy.

Shaking the thought from her mind, she continued looking over the deserted beach, the secluded spot having offered them a good deal of protection from the possible prying eyes of the citizens of Ember Island. A curious thought occurred to her as she approached her brother.

"Sokka, where's Aang?" she asked, a little more than innocent concern in her voice. Sokka and Toph "looked" at one another, the boy nearly slapping himself on the forehead for overlooking such a crucial point.

"Um, actually, I haven't seen him today," he said, a bit of nervousness creeping into his own voice as he spoke. He knew how protective of the boy Katara was, and how upset she could get when there was a possibility that something had happened to him. As his blue eyes drifted over his younger sister's face, he could see that near motherly worry glittering in her eye as she began to frantically watch the beach for any sign of the young air bender.

"Nice going Sokka, you were in such a hurry to ditch Zuko that you almost left without Aang," Toph said, hoping that the joke would not get to the young man too much. The boy grumbled a bit as he headed off towards the overhanging rock, hoping that the height would allow him to spot something that could tell them where the bald kid was.

Once he was atop the hanging rock, Sokka placed his hand above his eyes, shading his vision from the overhanging Sun. Turning his head from side to side, panic began to creep in as he caught no sign of the young bender. Dropping his arms to his sides, he leapt down from the outcropping, the soft sand cushioning his feet against the fall.

"Well?" Katara asked expectantly, worry gleaming in her eyes. Sokka looked into the soft eyes of his younger sister, before looking down to the soft white sand. The boy shook his head weakly from side to side, and he could almost feel the sadness of his sister at the realization that Aang was not around.

"So what now, Plan Guy?" Toph asked, arms crossed over her chest as she approached the pair of Water Tribe siblings. "You think he might have just gone to make peace with Zuko before we leave?" she added, the notion of dealing with the future Fire Lord and his girlfriend no appealing to either of the teens.

"I think it's more likely that he just wanted to get some time to think," Katara said hopefully, her voice providing little effort behind the words. "Maybe we should just check further down the beach for him," she suggested, Sokka latching quickly onto that idea. If they could find the boy without involving Zuko at that moment, then that's what they would do.

"Fine, let's split up," Toph said, heading off towards the interior of the island as Sokka and Katara headed in opposite directions along the beach. With each step against the more solid ground, Toph kept a look out for the young bender, hoping that he wasn't sitting atop one of the lanky, tall palm trees.

Realizing the timing of it, she wondered to herself if the boy had simply chickened out at the last minute, before a familiar item came into her "vision". Coming to a stop, the young girl bent a short burst of rock upward, propelling the staff into her hand from its perch at her feet. "Well, that makes things a lot weirder," she said, sighing as she turned back towards the beach.

As she made her way back across the soft sand, Toph thought about what it could mean that Aang's staff had been found apart from its owner. Had he somehow been abducted in the night, without any sign of a battle or anything? Nah, that was silly. She hoped that it was just that he had for once forgotten to take it with him, and was just visiting with Zuko before they departed for their final confrontation with the Fire Lord.

"Looks like we're in for a fine mess," she muttered to the bison as she approached, feeling the furry beast shift a bit in the sand. Dropping to a sitting position, the girl let the staff rest against her shoulder, waiting for the two older teens to arrive. After a few minutes of waiting, she felt the familiar footsteps of the Water Tribe siblings, Katara's a bit heavier than Sokka's.

"Any luck?" Katara asked, the sadness obvious as she spoke, coming to a stop in front of Toph. The blind girl could tell that Katara was staring intently at the ground, Sokka's posture not much better in comparison.

"No. All I found were a set of footprints. I guess he just… left," Sokka said, a hint of disappointment on his voice. Katara followed the boy's finger, the two following a short distance behind as she approached the set of footprints to the right side of the beach. Staring down at the tracks, she noticed it was a single trail of prints, made by a single person.

"Maybe someone took him," she suggested, her eyes not believing the suggestion for a moment. Sokka shook his head, clearly indicating that there was only one track for them to follow.

"It just disappears into the ocean. It's so strange," the dark skinned boy said, his mind working intensely on some plan, some course of action for this turn of events.

"Well, I don't think he went anywhere on his own, since he left this behind," Toph said, handing Katara the bald boy's glider. The young water bender looked at the long staff, her eyes watering a bit as she pictured the young boy simply leaving them.

"I don't think he left, there's no way he would abandon us now, after all this time," she said, finding a resolution, a faith that Aang would always be there for his friends and the world in its time of need.

"Then what do you think happened?" Toph asked, a little less certain of the boy's motivations than the water bender. Katara seemed to think intensely for a moment, her heart beating erratically as she struggled to find an answer. Looking to her brother, she hoped the group's go-to idea guy might be able to supply some answer.

Sokka as well slipped into thought, his fingers stroking his chin as his eyes closed, his mind pondering as many outrageous possibilities as he could think of. Opening his eyes, he took the staff from his sister before turning to Toph.

"Where did you say you found this?" he asked, indicating the thin object in his hands. Toph blinked a couple of times before turning her head towards the interior of the island.

"I was walking, and I just came across it in a patch of grass," she said, shrugging her shoulder nonchalantly at the comment. Sokka's lips pursed together, his mind focusing on a single outrageous point.

"It's obvious what happened…" he said, gathering Katara and Toph's attention as he put on a deathly serious face. "Zuko has been playing us all the time. Aang went to make peace, and the guy just nabbed him," Sokka explained, his arms clutching together in the motion for capture. Katara's eyes widened in anger and surprise, believing the young man capable of such deception.

"Sokka, you're an idiot. Just because the guy took your girl doesn't mean he's the world's super villain," Toph said, sighing in frustration as she stalked off towards the beach house.

"Toph, where are you going?" Katara asked, her mind flashing back to the conversation she had had with Zuko upon his first joining the group. She had been surprised that she could be so cold, so icy with her tone, but suddenly she felt those old feelings come to the surface as she imagined the scarred young man capturing the world's hope for survival.

The girl's mint green eyes shifted behind her jet black bangs, her feet stopping only for a moment as she turned slightly towards the teen siblings. "Clearly you two are too bothered by what happened with Zuko and Suki to think straight, so I'm going to see if Sparky has any ideas that might actually be useful," she huffed, heading off once more towards the comfortable home.

Katara and Sokka looked at one another questioningly, wondering if they should really let Toph just go off on her own. Sokka nodded to his younger sister, the pair of them then catching up quickly with the mildly frustrated earth bender. They had to be thankful for small favors, as neither wanted to deal with a truly frustrated Toph.

As the trip approached the beach house, Katara and Sokka each felt a thought of concern, conflicting emotions at the possibilities. Some small part of them hoped that what they had suggested had been correct, that Zuko had simply made off with Aang as some part of some ridiculously convoluted plan to capture the Avatar.

But simultaneously, they each knew that was more because they didn't want to have to include Zuko in their plans. When Sokka had suggested that they head off early in the morning to go defeat the Fire Lord without Zuko's help, Toph and Aang had raised some questions about the prospect. Aang was not entirely confident in defeating the Fire Lord without another fire bender around for support, while Toph just said Sokka was being paranoid or something.

Katara had agreed to the idea, thinking that their group of four had nearly helped conquer the capital city once before, and that it would be alright a second time. She had visibly tensed at the mention of Zuko's sister, thoughts of revenge running clearly in her mind. But now, with Aang missing, they each knew that Zuko was the best place to come for help.

The trio quickly made their way through the house, looking for any sign that Aang had maybe just decided to sleep on a comfortable bed before the big day. But after checking the bedrooms, Sokka and Katara sighed in defeat, staring down the corridor towards the gold trimmed door to Zuko's room.

"I just hope they're not like naked or something," Katara said, blushing a bit at the thought as they made their way towards the young man's sleeping quarters. Sokka cringed at the thought, his mind flashing with unpleasant images at the mention of the Fire Prince naked. A thought he wished desperately he could erase.

Grasping the gold handle of the ornately decorated door, Katara flung the heavy piece of wood open, her eyes flashing open at the sight before her. Piercing blue eyes focused on the bare skin of the Prince, his face etched with a soft smile as slender fingers grasped his waist.

"Ugh, nauseating," she said, resting her hands on her hips as she entered the room. Clearing her throat, she watched as the two older teens slowly stirred awake, gold and sea blue eyes lazily blinking as they tried to get used to the morning air. The two sat up, the crimson satin falling around their waists, Suki's right arm draped over the Prince's shoulder.

"Katara? What are you doing here?" Zuko asked, rubbing the remainder of sleep from his eyes. Looking at the tone of light filtering into the room, he gathered that he had slept in, but not as late as his body was telling him he wanted to.

"Nothing, but what are _you_ doing here? Do you guys have no shame?" she asked, the question causing the two teens to look to one another in surprise, wondering what the water bender was getting at.

"No shame? What the heck are you going on about?" Zuko asked, slipping his legs from beneath the smooth material covering his body. Katara diverted her gaze quickly, not enjoying the prospect of seeing the young man's bare body completely. Slowly she allowed her gaze to drift back to the bed, a sigh of relief and some embarrassment escaping her lips as she noticed the black pants encircling the young man's waist, the seemingly matching shirt draped lazily across Suki's body.

"Oh, it's nothing," she said, not wanting to be cornered into any kind of apology.

"Then what's so important? Is everything alright?" Suki asked, giving the pair of Water Tribe siblings a good look at her toned legs as she took a seat next to Zuko, pulling the slender appendages easily beneath her body.

"It's nothing, sorry we bothered you," Katara said, turning quickly away from the pair. Toph stood in the older girl's way, a look on her face that seemed to shout 'what the hell is wrong with you'.

"If you won't tell them, then I will," she said, a tone of finality to her voice.

"Tell us what?" Suki asked, turning to Zuko who simply shrugged. The pair looked expectantly at Katara, wondering what could be so important as to force her to swallow her discomfort and come to them for help.

"Aang is missing, alright?" Sokka supplied, wanting to get over the awkwardness as soon as possible so they could go and end the war. Zuko and Suki gasped in surprise, asking the trio what had happened.

"Well, we were going to leave early, so we wouldn't have to _disturb_ you two lovebirds, but when we got up this morning, Aang was gone and there's no sign of him," the young water bender explained in one sentence, getting the information out quickly as possible. She too wanted to get over the awkwardness of having to face the pair as quickly as possible.

It took a few moments for the information to work its way through their minds, sleep fading away through intense thought. Gradually Zuko's face fell into concern at the knowledge that the Avatar had disappeared at the least opportune moment, wondering what the bald kid could possibly be so scared of. Zuko had gone toe to toe with him on many occasions, and knew how skilled he was with the various elements.

Suki's face showed the same concern, tinted with a small layer of anger. Reaching over the bed, she paid no attention as the shirt rode up a bit, revealing her toned backside to the gathered teens as she reached for her tight fitting black pants. Jumping to her feet, she slid the smooth fabric along her legs, the waistband sitting snugly against her hips as the legs themselves ballooned out slightly.

"So you were just going to leave to fight the Fire Lord and Azula on your own, just because of what happened with me and Sokka, but now that Aang's missing you want Zuko's help?" Suki said, a tone of near disbelief on her voice as she glared at the pair of Water Tribe siblings.

"Well, how could we trust a pair of hormone driven people like you, who just flirt without concern for others?" Katara asked scathingly, her voice rising in volume as she came closer to the young girl.

"What are you trying to imply? I hope you're not saying what I think you are," Suki replied, rust colored hair falling in lazy strands around her face. The loose fitting topknot she usually wore was let down, allowing the hair to fall just below her set jaw.

"That depends. Do you think I'm calling you a loose, easy tramp?" Katara sneered, smirking as the older girl's face nearly exploded, her pale cheeks flushing red with anger as her ruby lips pursed together tightly.

"What!?" Suki shouted, ready to come to blows with the judgmental water bender. The two drew closer, and Sokka watched the scene unfold, feeling a certain sense of helplessness. Part of him was glad his sister had said what she did, a measure of revenge against the Kyoshi girl.

"So, how exactly did you expect me to help?" Zuko asked, his eyes lifting upward as he stared at the water bender. For all Sokka's bragging about being the group's leader, Zuko could tell that Katara was really the one in charge, for whatever good that did. Suki backed away a bit from the girl, turning her gaze towards the young fire bender as she sat down on the edge of the bed at his right.

"Zuko, are you sure?" Suki asked, honestly a bit surprised that he seemed to ready to help even after hearing what had been said. He turned to the young girl, offering her a warm smile as he nodded his head.

"When I first joined their group, I knew that there would probably be a lot of difficulties, and that I would probably not fit in. But this isn't about that. It's about ending the war, and bringing peace to the world. To do that, we have to find Aang, so it's not about me," he said simply, Suki feeling a bit embarrassed for getting upset herself.

"I guess you're right," she admitted, smiling a bit as she felt a strong hand reassuringly rubbing her back. The smile faded as she glanced at the water bender, feeling the hurt at the younger girl's words still stinging her heart.

"So, _fearless leader_, do you have any ideas?" Katara asked reluctantly, crossing her arms against her chest as she backed towards the door. Zuko took a deep breath, finding the sudden burden of being expected to come up with something very unnerving.

"Well, for starters how about you give us a chance to get dressed," he suggested, the words earning no argument from the assembled gallery. As the trio exited the room, Zuko exhaled the breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. The mild relief in his mind was washed away after the young woman at his side playfully punched him in the arm, his eyes instinctively moving to the girl.

"Geez, how could you just let her say all that stuff and then just agree to help them?" she asked, brows knitted together and lips pursed as she awaited a response. Zuko simply rose to his feet, discarding his sleep pants as he made his way towards the dresser.

"Well, like I said, it's not about me, or you for that matter. And besides, I figured if she crossed the line too far, you'd be able to handle it yourself," he said, casting her a cocky smirk as he reached into the large piece of furniture, producing his usual tunic and dark crimson pants.

"Geez, one of these days you're going to mess up, and it's going to be great," she said, pulling the black material over her head, her firm breasts swaying a bit as she carelessly looked for the tight fitting top for her outfit.

"That's why I'm always on the lookout," he said somewhat jokingly, slipping his boots over his feet before making his way out of the room. "Plenty of practice at dealing with moody girls," he added, watching the girl tighten the patch of blood colored cloth over her chest.

"Moody girls? Oh, you're so going to regret that one," she promised, smirking in anticipation as she fastened the choker around her neck, watching the young man tense up a bit at the thought.

"If the shoe fits," he responded simply, smirking confidently at the younger girl. He was never one to back down from any sort of fight. Suki had to admit that it was enjoyable with Zuko, as he wouldn't simply cower and try to get back on her good side right away. He would eventually do it, but always grudgingly, and if he couldn't find another way out of it.

"Look who's talking mister moody," she teased, ruffling his hair as she slipped past him into the intricately decorated hallway. His smile widened a bit as his eyes narrowed, following after the girl into the courtyard where the rest of the Avatar's group was waiting.

"So, what's the plan Sparky?" Toph asked, smiling at the lighter mood surrounding the new lovers, especially when compared to the heavy atmosphere surrounding the Water Tribe siblings. The assembled group stared at Zuko expectantly, waiting for whatever his "brilliant" plan might be.

"I just have to know, what makes you think I'll be able to help? I mean, you guys should be able to come up with something just as well," he suggested, Sokka's face lighting up just a bit as he knew that would be referring to him.

"Well, if I thought about it I probably could," he said, trying to keep his occasionally inflated ego in check. Zuko and Suki rolled their eyes before waiting for the boy to continue. "But, you're like the expert on tracking the Avatar, since you followed us all over the world," he added, his eyes holding a grudging respect for the fire bender's tracking talents.

Zuko debated on whether or not to tell them that it was mostly luck, and that he was seldom responsible for locating the group of teens. But as he ran his mind back on the past incidents where he came across their group, an idea came to him.

"Well, I do have one idea," he said, before heading towards the beach where Appa was resting. The group reluctantly followed, allowing the boy to take the reigns of the large flying animal.

Climbing into the saddle, they each wondered what Zuko's plan was. They watched as the bison steered east, back towards the Earth Kingdom. Sokka and Katara thought to themselves that Zuko must have lost it, wondering what Aang would be doing in the Earth Kingdom.

After a long flight, the beast set down outside of a seed looking tavern, further enhancing Katara and Sokka's mistrust of whatever Zuko's plan was. The young man easily leapt from the head of the bison, the Kyoshi girl quickly following after.

"Zuko, what's going on? Why are we here?" she whispered in his ear, the soft breaths sending small tingles through his body. Turning his head slightly, he simply smiled at the girl, letting her know that she should trust him.

Swinging the door open, he watched as Katara, Sokka and Toph came up behind him, flanking him on either side. The sounds of rowdy excitement was obvious throughout the room, the occasional sound of breaking wood or cracking bones sounding clearly amidst the drunk men.

"And the reason you've brought us to a seedy Earth Kingdom tavern is…?" Katara said, not passing up the chance to bring forth her doubt about the plan. Zuko took a short breath, scanning the crowd for his target. Relief filled him as his golden eyes rested on the pale skinned young woman, her dark hair and lips contrasting with the nearly white skin.

"June," he said simply, raising his finger towards the young woman.

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**Not as long as previous chapters, but that's just because it might have been too wordy otherwise, if that makes any sense. Anyway, this story will probably come out to 20 or 21 chapters. 2 more of story, and then 2 or 3 of wrapping up epilogue type stuff. Those would be almost entirely Zuko x Suki fluff, so I am anxious to get to that one. Next time we get a cute 'Zuko introducing his girlfriend to his uncle' moment, which I am interested to get to. Hope you all are excited for the last 4 or 5 chapters of the story. Until next time, faithful readers.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Sozin's Comet**

**Rating: K**

**Ah, chapter 17. Much more difficult than the others, mostly because I can never decide how in depth I want to go when it comes to retelling the events in the story. For reference, if there is not anything described, it is just like how it happens in the series, in case you might be wondering. Anyway, only a couple of chapters left to go in this Zuki story, so enjoy the chapter.

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As Zuko lowered his hand, the group gazed in the direction he had pointed, spreading out just a bit inside the doorway to the shady establishment. Sokka, Katara and Suki each winced a bit as the heavy scent of sweat and alcohol hung in their nostrils, eyes closing quickly as they tried to get over the strong odor.

The sounds of a random fight reached their ears from the opposing end of the single room, a few clattering sounds echoing on top of that as glasses broke against the hard wood floor. A few tables were overturned as a pair of shady characters got into an argument over something trivial, resulting in a short fist fight.

"Oh yeah, that weird bounty hunter with the giant mole," Sokka explained quickly. A quick blur of motion, and the group watched as a random stranger rushed at the tall beauty, her leg reaching up and grasping his neck with one quick movement.

"Mole? Her skin is flawless," Toph added, as the young woman quickly leapt from her bench, twirling around a second potential assailant. Steaming cup still in hand, she evaded the continuously flowing blows, leaving each member of the group at least mildly impressed as not a drop of the drink spilled to the floor.

Smooth, fluid movements complimented her dangerous look, the second attacker meeting the same painful fate as his partner. A heavy crash sounded against the hardened floor, as the pair of attackers crumpled to the ground.

"No, she has this giant mole creature she rides around on," Sokka explained further, oddly entranced as the dark haired young woman made quick work of whatever ruffians she had upset on that particular night. It had been a while since the group had come across the young woman, but she could definitely take care of herself.

"Her shirshu," Zuko began, his eyes watching as the black clad bounty hunter dodged the next attacker, still holding the cup in her hand. "It's the only animal who can track Aang's scent anywhere in the world. It's our only hope of finding him," he continued, not taking his eyes off of the attractive young woman.

A single, quick movement of her arms sent the cup she had been holding straight up into the air. Ducking under a long, heavy punch from a man in white, the girl grabbed his arm, hurling him nearly across the entire tavern. The man's heavy body came into contact with a distant table, the piece of furniture wobbling under the heavy strain.

Without even breaking her pace, June grabbed the now falling cup, the liquid inside falling neatly into place, still without spilling a drop. A look of excitement etched itself across Toph's face as she stepped in front of the young prince, looks of surprise on the faces of the rest of the group.

"I don't know who this June lady is, but I like her," Toph exclaimed loudly, her grin widening at the "sight" of a woman kicking such major butt. Zuko's face hardened as he stepped forward, the group hesitantly joining him as he took a few steps towards the bounty hunter.

"I remember her. She helped you attack us!" Sokka said, the memory rushing to the front of his mind at the sight of the young woman. His right brow rose in concern, a single thought echoing softly in the back of his mind that this could still be a trick of some kind from the Fire Prince.

"Yup. Back in the good old days," Zuko said, adding a tiny bit of sarcastic humor to the situation at hand. Ignoring the younger boy's concerns, the Prince set forward towards the dark haired girl, the lush hair hanging down across half of her face as the rest framed the opposing edge. Dark lips set into a look of indifference as the fire bender approached, her dark brown eyes darting away from him and back towards her table.

"Oh great, it's Prince Pouty. Where's your creepy grandpa?" she asked sarcastically, a small cringe running through her slender frame as she recalled the unfortunate position she had found herself in the last time she got involved with the young royal. The last thing she wanted to deal with at this particular moment was a horny old man putting the moves on her.

"He's me uncle, and he's not here," Zuko said, distinct tones of sadness on his voice as he spoke. Suki and Katara standing to either side of him, Zuko watched as the bounty hunter refilled her glass, turning her attention slowly towards him as the nearly clear liquid rippled a bit in the worn clay cup.

"Well, if you're not the regular ladies man," she teased, referring to the girls flanking the young Prince. Zuko shook a thought out of his mind, thinking that he had heard a tiny bit of near jealousy on the woman's even voice. Turning his head to the sides, he noticed the look of slight jealousy on Suki's face, before catching the scathing look from Katara.

"No, that's a really long story, but we don't have time to get into it right now," he said, gently rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Okay, okay. Sheesh, I was only teasing," the girl replied, looking a bit disinterested towards her cup as she held it up near her black coated lips. "So, what do you want?" she asked, seemingly trying to avoid looking at the young Prince.

"I need you help finding the Avatar," Zuko explained simply, trying to push past Katara's muttered comments about not being Zuko's girlfriend.

"That doesn't sound too fun," June stated, her index finger pointing outward as she took a sip of the drink filling her cup. Her tone of voice brought a flash of anger to the young man's face as he stepped forward, closing most of the distance between himself and the young bounty hunter.

"Does the end of the world sound like more fun!?" he asked, his voice rising greatly as he slammed his balled fists on the table where the young woman was sitting. June felt a small skip in her heart at the fire in the young man's words. It wasn't the annoyed, arrogant anger he displayed on their previous meetings. It was something different, something more honorable and honest.

With some reluctance, the woman led the group out of the tavern, her heeled boots digging into the backs of the men she had beaten earlier as she walked easily from the place. The group was relieved to have left behind the odious place, taking in the full effect of the fresh air offered outside.

They watched as the seemingly icy bounty hunter tossed her pet a rather large portion of meat, the creature downing the tasty treat with the same urgency as Sokka might display on such an action. Zuko especially watched with curiosity as the young woman stroked her pet's fur lovingly, cooing in its ear, all in start contrast with how he had seen her treat the shirshu on previous occasions.

"Okay, let's get this over with. Do you have something with the Avatar's scent?" June asked, putting her hand out in an almost impatient gesture. Being the seemingly closest to the Avatar, Katara grasped the staff close to her chest before handing it hesitantly to the bounty hunter.

June offered it to her pet, the creature sniffing at it for a moment before moving around the small clearing outside the tavern. The group watched as the beast seemed to sort of spaz out, looking for any traces of the young air bender. After trying every direction, the beast simply flopped to the ground, swiping at its nose with the large paws of its front legs.

"Well, what does that mean?" Zuko asked, finding this development very disturbing and figuring that it was most certainly not good. The rest of the group huddled around as June once again set to petting Nyla, before turning to the Fire Prince.

"It means your friend's gone," she answered evenly, suddenly wishing she was still inside tossing back alcoholic beverages.

"What do you mean gone? You mean Aang's dead?" Katara asked, the thought sending a cold chill through her body. June seemed to think for only a moment, before turning fully towards the group of travelers.

"No, we could find him if he was dead. Your friend's not there, he doesn't exist," June added somewhat cryptically, leaving the group unsure as to what that could possibly mean. "Well, good luck finding your friend," the dark haired woman said, waving as she made to leave the unfortunate teens.

"Wait. There's only one other person who can help us defeat my father," Zuko said to the group. "I'll be right back with a smell sample," he said, turning to the sometimes greedy bounty hunter.

"You kept your uncle's old sandal?" Sokka asked, holding his nose along with the rest of the Avatar's group, watching the flies swirl around the old, sweaty sandal. Zuko blushed a bit at the embarrassing sight, wondering himself why he had kept such a thing with him.

"I don't know, I think it's kind of sweet," Toph added, a smile on her face at the silly thoughtfulness of the young Prince. The shirshu rushed to the smelly sandal, quickly catching onto the scent. June atop its back, the beast quickly headed off into the distance, leaving the kids scrambling to keep up with the quick creature.

The kids jumped onto the saddle of the flying bison, following the large creature across the rolling hills of the Earth Kingdom landscape. Before long they came to a familiar wall, partially collapsed with debris dotting the surrounding area.

"What are we doing at Ba Sing Se?" Katara asked, thinking that maybe the animal's sense of smell had maybe failed them. Pulling in the reigns, June looked at the group, watching as they got down from atop their own large pet.

"Your uncle's inside the walls somewhere, and from the way Nyla's twitching, he can't be far. Good luck," June offered, nodding as Zuko smiled gratefully at the older woman before she disappeared into the horizon.

"Guess we better set up camp here for the night," Sokka suggested, but before they could even ponder the concept, flames rose up all around them, surrounding them on the outside of the large outer wall of Ba Sing Se.

The group watched wide eyed as the older people they had come across during their adventures across the Earth Kingdom. Katara gave her respects to her master and now grandfather Paku, who still seemed to hold his natural dislike of the water bender's occasionally slow witted brother.

Sokka himself greeted his own master, showing his great respect for the finest swordsman in the Fire Nation's long history. Zuko was introduced to the Avatar's first fire bending master, bowing in deference to the older gentleman. The 'Order of the White Lotus' members each introduced themselves with varying levels of graciousness to the young man, likely in some acknowledgement of his uncle, who he learned was a rather high ranking member of their group.

After Bumi made some crazy comment about 'the important person' being missing and referring to Momo, the group followed the collection of diverse masters into their camp, passing by a series of simple white tents, some adorned with the mark of their ancient and secret order.

Finally they came to the most lavish looking of the tents, lined with flags bearing the insignia of the White Lotus. Zuko came to a stop between the masters, the rest of their group standing a short distance behind him.

"Your uncle is in there," Paku said simply, bowing as he led the rest of the Avatar's group towards a campfire where they might enjoy some good food, save for Suki who remained at Zukos side.

"Are you nervous about seeing your uncle?" she asked, following his gaze towards the entrance to the rather large tent. The Prince took a soft breath, trying to calm his erratically beating heart.

"No… yes, maybe a little," he said, laughing nervously as he spoke. Dropping to his haunches, he stared at the wavering flags, listening to the almost imperceptible fluttering of cloth against the light breeze.

"It'll be alright, Zuko. I'm sure if you just apologize honestly, your uncle will forgive you. And I know you, so even if he doesn't, you'll just keep trying to make it up to him until he does," she said somewhat jokingly, smiling as she watched his eyes lift up towards her.

"Like you have all the answers," he said sarcastically, but in a tone that told her that he was grateful for the encouragement. Standing upright, the young man made his way hesitantly into the tent, leaving Suki behind to hope that things went well. Figuring he would take a while, she made her way to the campfire, hoping that there was still some food for her to eat.

As she made her way back through the oddly large camp, Suki imagined what kind of reaction Zuko might be getting from his uncle, wondering if he would manage to apologize properly. For a moment she wondered if she should have gone with him, shaking the thought from her mind quickly with a shy smile on her face.

Finally she reached the campfire, the conversation between the other teens of the group dying down a bit as she sat down near the young earth bender. Katara glared daggers at the girl before grudgingly handing her a plate of the simple food, which Suki took with the due humility she figured she should be affording the water bender.

As she ate, Suki felt an odd chill, thinking at first that it must have just been the chill of night after so many nights in the Fire Lord's beach house. The food was good, but as the night crawled along, and the rest of the group began to turn in for the night, Suki was left on her own, watching the gently flickering embers in the pit of where a fire had once blazed.

The soft orange glow gave her blue green eyes a near sparkle, a light sheen as she drew her arms around her soft body. The night was not that cold, she knew, yet it felt as though she were in the South Pole. As the moon's light began to sink towards the distance, she felt a bit of loneliness for the first time since she had experienced the falling out with her friends.

Since then, she and Zuko had spent almost every waking moment together, and had been sharing the same bed for the past few days. The thought of the strong young man warmed her a bit as she allowed herself to fall backwards, hands folded behind her head as she looked up at the murky darkness above. With some effort, she forced her eyes closed, trying to will sleep where only the night before it had come willingly, and was welcomed as she held herself against the scarred teen's body.

As the morning's rays began to beam down on the world, Zuko and his uncle made their way towards the circle of stones, the darkened embers standing out against the usually pale ground all around it. Come up to the figure sprawled out near the pit, Zuko rested upon his haunches, staring with some disbelief at the young woman.

"I don't believe I have had the pleasure of meeting this young woman before," Iroh spoke gently, his voice still cracked a bit after the tearful reunion with his now more certain nephew. Zuko simply smiled, stroking the girl's hair softly as she slept.

Zuko continued to watch over the girl as she slept, watching as his uncle set about brewing tea, the scarred Prince not offering any sarcastic remarks over the gesture. He was happy that he had been able to make up with his uncle. Falling into a sitting position, Zuko closed his eyes, letting the soft scent of his uncle's tea fill his nostrils.

"Hmm, something smells good. And your hands are still as warm as always," Suki said, her voice catching Zuko a bit by surprise. The girl's sea blue eyes fluttered open gently, watching as Zuko embarrassedly pulled the offending hand from its perch upon her soft cheeks.

"It's my uncle's tea," Zuko said, nodding his head towards where his uncle was busily making his usual tea. Pulling herself into a sitting position next to the young prince, she watched his uncle approach, a sly smile on his face as he handed each of them a cup of tea.

"So, are you going to introduce me to your friend, Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked, nudging his nephew in the side as he sat down across from Suki. Zuko groaned a bit, blushing at having to handle such an introduction.

"Uncle, this is Suki, my, uh, girlfriend…" he said, the pair of them blushing at the wording chosen. The laugh that Iroh gave left no doubt that he was pleased, grasping the girl's soft hand in his own as he set his cup down.

"Oh, this is a joyous occasion. I was starting to wonder if my nephew here would ever show any interest in normal activities," Iroh joked, Zuko's eyes glued to the ground at his feet as his uncle spoke, the tea in his cup growing warmer as he subconsciously began to fire bend in some frustration.

"I-it's nice to meet you, Iroh. Zuko has told me a lot about you," Suki said, her own blush fading only a bit at being so bluntly introduced. The embarrassment did nothing to hide her smile, grateful that Zuko was also dealing with it.

"Oh, is that right? But, if you and my nephew are indeed so close, you can simply call me uncle, as Zuko does," Iroh said, smiling honestly at the young girl.

"Oh, okay… uncle," she said, her blush darkening for some unknown reason at referring to the older man by such a familiar title. As the others gradually made their way out of their tents from the night, they took their seats around the fire pit, finalizing their plans for the upcoming battle.

It was decided that Sokka, Toph and Katara would head off the airship fleet, ready to offer Aang support when he battled the Fire Lord. Iroh informed Zuko that he would not become the Fire Lord, even once the war had ended. He decided that his duty was to re conquer Ba Sing Se, to free it from the Fire Nation with the help of the White Lotus society.

And it was left that Zuko and Suki would head off to handle Azula, to take the throne himself when the war was over. Iroh held a look of joy and sadness on his face, his mind finding it hard to picture his beloved nephew dueling possibly to the death with his own little sister. But as he looked at the comfortable way in which Zuko and Suki got along, he felt much more relieved, seeing his nephew acting much less stiffly.

Katara tried to argue that her group should take Appa, that it couldn't be trusted with Zuko on his own. But the bison seemed to make the decision for them, giving the Prince a heavy, friendly lick, much to the group's collective amusement. Zuko muttered his dissatisfaction with being covered in sky bison slobber as he trudged over to the nearby river to clean himself off.

Suki especially gave him a hard time as he washed off, glad at least that there was as stream nearby. Still sopping wet from his dip, he talked Katara into bending the water out of his clothing, fearing that if he used his fire bending that the garb would simple shrivel around his body.

Climbing atop the lumbering beast, Zuko took Suki's hand, pulling her up to the saddle alongside. He watched as Katara and Sokka said their last farewells to their masters, the water bender shooting Zuko one last glare that seemed to both say 'good luck' and 'I'm still not forgiving you' at the same time.

Once all the goodbyes and good lucks were said, Zuko tugged on the reigns, sending Appa into the sky above. He watched as the eel hound carrying the trio of the Avatar's group sped off, before turning his attention to the sky in front of him.

The bright blue sky dimmed, the Sun's light disappearing behind ominous looking clouds of cover. A dark, eerie light glowed across the sky, as the comet appeared. The beautiful color filled Zuko with a power he had not experienced before, and his eyes closed as he breathed in deeply. His veins felt like they could burst, the power surging throughout his body.

Thoughts of his little sister filled his mind, and he wondered how it had come to this. How had his simply annoying little sister become an obstacle to world peace, his own personal tormentor? A sadness filled his heart at the thought, imagining what it was that he would be asked to do in the name of world balance.

"So, are you nervous about fighting Azula?" Suki asked, breaking the tense silence as the bison cut through the air with the ease of one who bent the element. She had seen Aang and his gravity defying antics before, but it was something else to be flying through the sky.

"I guess. I've never been able to beat Azula, so of course I'm a little nervous," Zuko said, his eyes half closing against the pressure of the wind whipping at his face. Tying the reign against the bison's horn, he climbed quickly back into the saddle, taking position across from Suki.

"So, what are you going to do?" she asked, watching with a bit of confusion as he pulled out his twin blades, looking at the bright gleam in the morning's sunlight. Clicking them back into the scabbard, he handed it to the younger girl.

"Suki, you have to be ready. If Azula, for whatever reason, thinks that it will help, she won't hesitate to attack even someone uninvolved. When that happens, I want you to use these," he said, watching as she hesitantly took the blades from the young man.

"I don't understand. How can I use these, I'm not really trained with them," she tried to explain, to which Zuko pressed a finger to her soft red lips. Pulling back once she was settled a bit, he explained what it was that he meant. Once he had spoken, he climbed back into the pilot's seat on the bison's head, as the capital city came into full view. The usually bustling city seemed dead as he sent the bison to descend towards the Palace.

The intricate hangings and banners of the Fire Nation still hung from the pillars as the beast bellowed, interrupting what he assumed must be the coronation ceremony. The sages stopped, the crown nearly atop the head of darkened hair. As the bison came closer, Zuko saw the face of his sister, and his eyes narrowed at the oddly frazzled look of the usually proper princess.

"What's the hold up?" she asked, her voice sparked with anger and frustration. It was not the even, calculating tone that he had grown up hearing from the girl.

"You're not going to become Fire Lord today," he said, jumping down as the bison settled onto the hard ground. "I am," he said simply, his voice as serious as he could manage given the harsh beating of his heart.

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**Ah, this was such a pain in the butt to write. Retelling what someone already did is kind of annoying, so I hope you can forgive if I sort of skipped over parts in regards to that. Next time we get a similar situation for most of the Zuko vs. Azula fight, with a different ending to the struggle. That'll be fun to write, before I get to the last two chapters of fluffy conclusion. After this story, I will finish up my Toko story, then write maybe one or two Zuki oneshots (including another somewhat smutty one). So, let me know how this chapter came out if I messed things up here. Until next time, good readers.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Peasant's Gossip Fodder**

**Rating: K+**

**Chapter 18 here for your enjoyment. This is the last of the 'retelling the end of the series' chapters, so if you read the last one you know partially what to expect in terms of pacing. The battle between Zuko and Azula here, but not super in depth. As always, thoughts on how well I kept the characters normal is welcome, and enjoy the chapter.

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"Ahahaha. You're hilarious," Azula responded, her crimson lips pulled into an amused sneer. The normal precise styling of her hair was nowhere to be seen, the inky black strands hanging messily in her face. Fang like bangs had vanished, the even lengths replaced with awkwardly cut and messy styling.

Suki hopped down from the large flying creature, the Comet casting its dark red glow across the sky. Like a fire burning high in the sky, the clouds looking like puffs of blackened smoke in front of the cosmic ball of energy. Tightening the scabbard of the swords to her waist, the girl stared at Zuko's sister, wondering to herself it this was the same girl who had defeated her those weeks earlier in the Earth Kingdom.

The pair of adventurers watched as one of the sages attempted again to place the royal crown atop the Princess's head, the gold article still shining brightly in the oddly dim light. Azula waved the older man off, her eyes tilted downward.

"Wait," she began, slowly lifting her gaze towards her brother as she came to her feet. "You want to be Fire Lord? Fine, we'll settle this just you and me, dear brother, the showdown that was always meant to be, Agni Kai!" she said, the volume of her voice rising as the sadistic smile on her face grew.

Blood red lips curled into a crooked grin, unkempt hair hanging messily against the pale skin of her face. No traces remained of the cold, calculating version of his sister that he had spent so long fearing, and running from. She seemed to hold none of her usual calm, instead showing something he couldn't quite place.

His mind raced, trying to pin a word on the feeling he got from his younger sister. He and Suki stared at the young girl, wondering if she was up to something. They each figured that Azula knew she could handle Zuko alone, with no back up from the Kyoshi girl.

"You're on," Zuko accepted coolly, Suki's eyes widening a bit as she turned to the older boy. His face remained dead set as Azula's lips pulled even wider, her face showing a trace of the sadistic Azula. The glow in her eyes shouted 'you're mine' as she stared at the young man.

"Zuko, what the heck are you doing? You know she's just trying to get you where she wants you, right? It's all part of some kind of trap." Suki said, a lapse of fear dripping through her words as she spoke to the scarred teen. Zuko kept his golden eyes locked on the slender form of his sister, focused on the odd look that he still couldn't quite describe.

"I know. But I can take her this time," he responded with as much confidence as Suki had heard on his voice during their admittedly brief time together. His eyes remained focused, as though ready for any kind of sneak attack from the younger girl.

"But you even admitted to your uncle that you couldn't take her alone, that's why I came with you," Suki said, her voice almost pleading with the older boy as the sages disappeared into the royal palace. Azula's face showed her absolute confidence, her mind clearly running through all the past encounters she had experienced with her brother, and how she had managed to defeat him each time.

"There's something off about her. I can't explain it, but she's slipping. And this way, nobody else has to get hurt," Zuko said, his eyes narrowing a bit as he turned to the auburn haired girl. Her heart skipped a beat, her own sea blue eyes widening a bit at his confidence and the selflessness he was displaying.

"Are you sure, Zuko? You're not alone, you know?" she asked, giving his hand a gentle squeeze as she stared into his hard set gold eyes. The fire from the Comet seemed to glow within the molten pools of gold, and she could see an absolute confidence in them as the boy smiled at her.

"I know. It means a lot that you're here, but I have to handle this on my own," he began, his eyes darting to the side a bit. "But I want to warn you to remember what we talked about, and be ready for anything, just in case," he said, leaning in to whisper in the girl's ear. Despite the situation, she found herself shivering a bit, the feeling of his warm breath on her ear warming her considerably.

As the other spectators cleared out, the combatants took their positions at opposing ends of the long courtyard, kneeling opposite one another. Azula's heavy black cloak hung loosely off her shoulders, and Suki watched as Zuko's face held fast in his determination. She watched his breathing as he calmed himself, trying his best to focus on the task at hand.

"I'm sorry it has to end this way, brother," Azula said sarcastically, pulling the dark cloak from her shoulders. Discarding the garment to the side, she held a look of mock pity and sadness on her face, the messy lipstick giving her a distinct look that she was not in control of herself as she usually was.

"No you're not," Zuko admitted, a genuine sadness in his own voice at the prospect of being driven to this, a fight to the death against his own sister. Suki could feel the turmoil in his voice, and she tightened her grip on the handles of the blades as she made her way behind one of the tall stone pillars lining the grounds.

Azula's lips sunk into another sinister smirk, her fingers open as she fell into her fire bending stance, Zuko doing the same. The girl stared at Zuko, like a hunter at its prey, before launching the opening attack of the battle.

From her spot behind one of the large pillars, Suki watched the battle unfold, her mind engraving each attack in memory. The reds and blues meshed, clashing and swirling around one another as though searching for any weakness in the other. Flames shot up and out, encompassing nearly the entire grounds as the two royals battled.

Suki had never seen such displays of skill and raw power, a feeling passing through her that this was probably the only time she would be able to witness such a sight. The air all around the opening heated, the young girl finding it increasingly difficult to breathe as the atmosphere slowly burned away.

For each blast Azula sent hurtling towards her older brother, Zuko countered with one of his own, hurling thick columns of red-orange flame towards the younger girl. The attacks grew more fierce, more intense as the teens sought their victory, flames washing over the walls and into the city surrounding the large palace grounds. Suki's eyes wandered around, watching the flames of blue and red pour into the sky, each time temporarily outshining the comet that ran slowly across the endless sky.

She watched as Azula shot the flames behind her, using the burst of energy as a means of propelling herself to avoid a heavy stream of flame from Zuko. The reddish flame passed by the younger girl before she leapt into the air, sending a thick rush of blue flame back to her brother. Zuko cancelled the flame with a wall of his own, before dropping to his back, kicking his legs out as the flames arced towards his sister.

The fire crawled along the ground, catching the younger girl's feet and sending her tumbling a distance away. Sensing that the fight might be over, Suki ventured out from behind her pillar, watching the princess try futilely to rise to her feet. The dark haired girl's breaths came in frustrated gasps, her forearms propping herself up a bit as she stared indignantly at her older brother.

"What's wrong, no lightning today Azula? What's the matter? Afraid I'll redirect it?" Zuko asked, shifting into his defensive stance as she gradually came to her feet. In contrast to the look of unbridled anger on the face of the Princess, Zuko looked calm, collected and in control. Suki chuckled just a bit at the stark contrasts in the two teens.

She watched as Azula stretched her arms out, the sharpened nails like claws raking against the ground as the lightning gathered around her. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Zuko turning his gaze towards her only slightly, a subtle nod of his head showing that this was where she should be on guard. Tensing a bit, Suki held her hand to the handle of the swords on her right hip, the item hanging almost heavily against her body as the crackling of electricity sizzled in the air.

The cracking sound sent her mind thinking back to the short conversation the two of them had shared in the saddle on top of Appa.

_'If Azula gets backed into a corner, there's a good chance she'll try something sneaky, so you have to be on guard against her at all times,' Zuko had told her, as he handed her the pair of blades._

_'I don't get it. What the heck am I supposed to do with these if I don't even know how to use them?' she asked, his response a simple smile._

_'Metal conducts electricity,' he said, the gears clicking into place in the girl's head. She moved her vision from the blades' scabbard to the young fire bender and back, wondering if he was telling her to do what it sounded like he was suggesting._

_'So, if she shoots lighting at me, I just block it with these?' she asked, sounding completely unconvinced of the prospects. She had witnessed the effects of lighting first hand, and doubted that there was anything that could be done._

_'Trust me. It'll work. As long as your hand doesn't come into contact with a metal part of the blade, the electricity should be negated by the material on the handle, and you won't get shocked,' he said, his voice filled with a great deal more certainty on the prospects than she felt. Not knowing what else to do, the girl simply nodded, watching as Zuko made his way back onto the head of the bison.  
_

Turning his attention back to his sister, Zuko pulled in a deep, calming breath, settling his right hand out in front of his body, ready to take the girl's attack. He watched the amber eyes wander over to the Kyoshi girl, and he hoped that she would be alright given the circumstances at hand.

As though conforming to Zuko's fears exactly, Azula's lips pulled into a sadistic smile, her fingers switching their aim from the scarred teen in front of her to the crimson clad girl off to the side. Thrusting the digits outward, she watched as the blue lightning arced towards the girl, her mind already imagining the scene to play out.

But as the blue light flew through the air, Zuko's movements were not towards the girl as Azula had predicted, but towards her. Momentary confusion passed through her mind as she watched the girl's actions, her amber eyes widening as a flash of metal passed over her sight. In a quick, fluid motion, Suki pulled the swords from the scabbard, thrusting the twin blades towards the approaching lighting.

Azula watched, lost in disbelief, as the blue light seemed to seek out the blades, the metal heating as the electricity was drawn to the metal. Blue light disappeared, the dangerous element passing harmlessly through the metal of the twin blades before grounding in the more earthy substances surrounding the handle.

Suki blinked a few times in surprise, the static charge in the air sending a light surge through her body as she gazed at the blades. Ruby lips pulled into a soft smile as her eyes traveled towards the young fire bender, watching as Zuko willed a small fireball into his trailing hand.

His hand began to twitch a bit as the ball of fire remained in place, the fiery sphere attempting to loosen itself from his control. Azula's mind clicked back into action, but before she could mount any kind of counter, Zuko hurled the charged fireball at the younger girl, hitting the ground in front of her.

The ball exploded, sending the girl into the air above, her eye wide in surprise. Trying to gain her balance before hitting the ground, she watched almost helplessly as Zuko leapt upward, grabbing her by the leg. His face set in grim determination, he threw the girl at the ground, her body landing with a sickening thud.

Azula clutched at her ribs, trying to will the breath back into her body. But as she clawed at the armored flesh, Zuko pushed himself over towards her, searing flames rising to coat his hand as he held the balled fist in front of the girl's smooth skin.

"It's over, Azula. You've lost," he said simply, his eyes glazing a bit with concern. As much as he hated the girl for what she had done, the things she had said and what she could potentially do in the future, he still didn't want to be the one to cross the last line between them.

The girl spat up at him, her face contorted in frustration at having lost to the supposedly useless Prince. Pulling his hand away, Zuko turned his attention from the girl, watching the last shreds of her persona break away, leaving a shattered shell of a human being in its place as she began to scream loudly, maddeningly to whoever might hear her.

Slowly the sages came from within the palace, bowing in deference to the new future ruler of their nation. Zuko cast his sister one last pitying look, before turning away from the saddening sight.

"Take care of her, please," he said simply to the head sage, who bowed as two others grabbed the young woman by the arm. Zuko tried to drown out the sickening screams, the vile threats on his life. His fists clenched at his side, his mind running through all the regrets he could possibly have about the situation.

"Zuko, it's okay," Suki said, placing her hand on his shoulder. As he turned to gaze at her, Suki felt her heart break just a tiny bit. "I can't say that I know what it's like, having to fight your own sister like that, but I'm sure someday it'll work itself out," she said, trying to be as encouraging as she could given the situation.

"Thanks," he said simply, forcing a small smile onto his face as he peered into her bluish green eyes. Leaning in, he gave the girl a soft kiss, before the pair turned their heads up towards the sky as the comet disappeared. The soft, eerie glow of the comet vanished, leaving the world blanketed in the comforting darkness of night.

"Do you think he did it?" Suki asked, the question needing no further explanation. Zuko nodded hopefully, the smile growing easily across his face as he clasped his hand to that of the young Kyoshi girl.

"I know he did," he said, no doubt in his voice as he again turned his attention to the young girl. "You think they'll need a lift from the battle?" Zuko asked, somewhat teasingly. Suki laughed a bit, entwining her fingers in his as they smiled at one another.

"I think Appa is handling it," she said, her words causing Zuko to look around. He had been so focused on the task at hand that he had not noticed the large bison slip away, likely heading towards its owner and long time friend.

"Looks like it. Guess we're stuck here. Think the others will show up to the coronation and end of the war celebration?" he asked, feeling his body relax against the cooling night air all around him.

"Don't know? Will there be food?" she responded, causing Zuko to chuckle a bit.

"I don't know about that. But I guess we'll worry about that later. How about I give you a tour of the palace before bed?" he asked, offering the girl his elbow in a gentlemanly manner as instilled in him by his noble birth.

"That sounds lovely, but I'm feeling a bit tired. How about sleep first, then a tour of the palace in the morning?" she countered, to which Zuko responded with a yawn. Suki's brow raised teasingly, her lips curling at the corners as she nudged the young man.

"I guess sleep doesn't sound too bad right about now," he admitted, his muscles aching from the intense workout offered during the battle with his sister. Each step they took into the palace sent painful echoes throughout his body, the tension nearly causing him to collapse onto the ground.

"Come on, lean against me," Suki offered helpfully, Zuko groaning as he collapsed more heavily against the girl. He offered directions to where his room was, not comfortable with the idea of occupying the Fire Lord's chambers just yet. The various servants each bowed in respect to the young man as they passed, the word having been spread among the palace workers that Zuko had won the right to be Fire Lord.

Relief was evident on their faces, delighted yet understandably hesitant about the prospect of the continuing line of Ozai. But their hesitance was dismissed as Zuko offered each of them a gentle smile as he passed, a bit uncomfortable and holding none of the coldness that marked his sister and father.

But he could already hear the whispers, could already feel the uneasy stares directed at the girl guiding him to his room. He lifted his gaze to the young girl, her own face showing no concern for the matter. Whether or not she was just hiding it behind her mask of seriousness he would probably never know.

As they approached the intricately carved door of ebony and gold, Zuko felt the energy continue to drain from his body at an alarming rate. The door swung open heavily, the dark reds and blacks lining his room having been torn away leaving only a simple bed. But he didn't care for any of that at that moment.

Suki guided him over to the bed, watching with some amusement as he plopped down face first onto the soft mattress. His body sunk into the material a bit, his face turning to the side to avoid suffocation. He watched the slender form of the Kyoshi warrior against the glowing lamplight in the corridor, the soft light shading her features to his gaze.

"So, I guess I'll see you in the morning," she said, a hint of sadness on her voice as she turned away from the young man. His body moving on its own, he reached out to the young girl, grasping her wrist firmly before she could take a step.

"Don't go," he said simply, both a command and a request at the same time. Suki snickered a bit at the silly contradictions in his tone. Slowly she turned her head towards the young man, her eyes catching faint amounts of the hall's lamplight.

"What, you think you can just order me around because you're Fire Lord now?" she asked, her brow quirking up in anticipation of his answer. She felt an odd hesitation at sharing a bed with the young man now, one that she had not felt over the preceding few days.

"No. It's not an order, more like a request," he said simply, flipping over onto his back slowly, keeping his hand perched on her wrist. He pulled the girl gently towards him, her pulse quickening under his touch.

"But what will your servants think?" she asked, feeling herself becoming lost in the deep gold eyes of the new Fire Lord. Zuko smirked as he pulled her against his body, his face showing the wince of pain as she came into contact with the aching muscles.

"They're just servants. I don't care about them, or anyone else. I just want you to stay," he said, his eyes flashing with pure energy as he wrapped his arm around her. The girl blinked in surprise, taken aback momentarily by his confession.

"Why, Prince Zuko, you do say the strangest things," she teased, finding her arm working its way around his body. The young girl watched as a servant pulled on the door to the Prince's quarters, closing the pair into the room away from the small lights.

"I guess people do weird things when they're in love," he said nervously, his voice breaking a bit as he spoke. Suki's face flushed a bit, a warm smile firmly planting itself on her face as she nestled into the young man's embrace.

"I guess they do," she admitted, wondering if he was blushing as hard as she was at that moment. In their minds, they each played back the day's events, wondering what had happened with the others.

Suki knew that it was probably not proper etiquette to wear their clothes to bed, but finding that she was more tired than she had anticipated, the auburn haired girl let her eyes close, savoring in the warmth of the young man beneath her.

She knew that in the morning, the gossip would be buzzing around the palace. A commoner sharing a bed with the Fire Lord? But she didn't care for that at that moment. She would deal with those consequences in the morning. For now, she would just let Zuko enjoy the fruits of his labor.

The girl smiled brightly as Zuko's arm held her more strongly, pressing her body more firmly against his. Only the soft sound of breathing filled the room as he fell asleep, his mind alight with thoughts of a future with the young girl from Kyoshi Island.

* * *

**I know, definitely not the best chapter of this story. I just get so squicky when it comes to reiterating what someone else has already done, so I get antsy and try to skip ahead sort of . Anyway, next time we get a sort of time skip, probably only a little time (a few days maybe), with brief mentions of the coronation cermony. A bit of angsting, before the final chapter of the story. Hope you will be there next time, good readers. Until then.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: Royal Troubles**

**Rating: K**

**Chapter 19. After much internal debate, I decided that this story will go on for two more chapters. One picks up where this leaves off, but I will give more details at the end. Anyway, I was watching 'Ember Island Players' a bit ago, and maybe I was reading more into it than I should, but it certainly made me more confident with at least that half of this pairing. She looked quite annoyed with Sokka for most of that episode. But maybe that's just me. Anyway, here is the next chapter, set a couple of weeks after the defeat of Ozai and Zuko being crowned Fire Lord. A bit of Zuko angsting, because it wouldn't be a story featuring Zuko with no angst. That said, enjoy.

* * *

**

Cracking his eyes open against the flood of morning's sunlight, Zuko rolled over onto his back, golden eyes plastered against the ceiling as the soothing comfort of sleep washed out of his body. The natural surge of energy he felt at the rising of the Sun made it impossible to go back to sleep, as much as he had felt the desire.

Trying in some way to con his body into shifting out of its daily routine, the scarred teen pulled the silken sheets up over his head, a futile effort to drown out the daytime as long as he could manage. He counted the seconds in his mind, each second its own eternity as he awaited the inevitable.

After what seemed to be the passing of an entire cosmos, Zuko pushed the sheets off, throwing his arms to the sides as he again stared at the ceiling. Crimson and black seemed to stare back at him, mirroring the color scheme set about across the Fire Nation. Taking a deep breath, he felt the now familiar emptiness in his chest.

Placing his right hand against his heart, he felt for the rhythm of life, part of him finding disappointment upon recognition of the steady beating. He closed his eyes, listening to the soft rush of blood throughout his body. The usually comforting stillness made him uncomfortable, his brows knitting together as the reality washed over him once again.

Pushing himself out of bed, he placed his feet on the cold marble floor, the black material catching traces of the morning's light as he walked. The gleam of the polished stone added just that little bit extra light to the room as he made his way towards his window.

Slowly he pushed the shutters open, his eyes narrowing against the additional torrent of bright white light from the Sun above. The cool air spiced with a subtle warmth rushed easily past the young man, gently rustling his sleep shirt and pants. Messy black locks fell about his face, a few strands finding their way in front of his eyes.

The small bands of black seemed to stripe the world below, the solid image coming to him in pieces, broken up by solid black lines. Almost as though the world he saw before him were only an image drawn by another. A dry, mirthless chuckle escaped his lips at that thought, his heart wishing deeply that such a thing were the case.

Hoisting himself up a bit, the young man propped his right leg upon the widened window sill, his back leaning against the inside of the frame as he looked out over the palace grounds. Birds floated across the sky, their cries ringing in his ears as they flew beyond the palace walls.

Looking down on the courtyard, he could see a few of the servants bustling about, keeping things trimmed and neat as was their job. The tattered clothing of old had been replaced, the demeaning status of the servants under his forefathers replaced with a much more accepting atmosphere.

Zuko had known what it was like to have nothing, and had found some measure of common ground with the servants. He had set a ruling that all servants, most fitting more a description of slaves, were allowed to leave the palace if they wished it. The surprise had set in quickly, but realizing that Zuko was to be a completely different ruler than his father or sister, most of the servants had decided to stay.

The resulting atmosphere around the palace was much more jovial and light than it had been under his father. Zuko forced a smile to his face as a few of the servants waved up at him, bright smiles on their faces as the Sun shone brightly down on the world. As the red clothed servants set back to their daily tasks, Zuko let the smile drop from his face, his right arm resting against his upraised knee as he shifted his gaze to the deep blue of the sky.

His thoughts began to wander as well, his mind showing him images that he wished he could not recall. Feelings and sensations that had proved so enjoyable, so memorable to his mind that he knew he would never forget them. He remembered the soft strands of auburn toned hair, fanned out against his bare chest as the girl slept.

Soft touches, heated kisses and warm embraces. A soft yet firm voice, at any time both comforting and scathing. Intense workouts, sparring matches on a beach that usually served as a vacation for the wealthy. He closed his eyes as he tried to push thoughts of the girl from his mind, but the more he tried, the harder it became.

The rust colored hair seemed to almost glow in the darkness of his mind, bright ruby lips shifting as the girl's face came to view. Deep, piercing sea blue eyes glimmered in the soft light, staring a hole into his being.

Images of the young girl from Kyoshi Island seemed to taunt him, the sarcastic and sometimes biting laugh sounding in his ears. His heart began to beat quicker under the slight strain, his mind showering him with images of the young girl. Finally he had had enough, shouting out towards the distant horizon, a large row of flame scorching the air around his window as it rose from his throat.

Breathing heavily, he propped his hands against the ebony window frame, staring down at the green grass and willowy trees below. Catching the worried looks of his servants, he spun lightly on his foot, his back leaning against the wall to the right of the window. Slumping downward, he placed his forehead against his upturned knees, arms wrapping around his legs for comfort.

"Fire Lord Zuko, is anything wrong?" a soft female voice sounded from outside of his room, accompanying the gentle rapping against his door. Zuko knew it was one of his personal attendants, and he felt a short surge of embarrassment at his display. But soon the embarrassment gave way to his most familiar companion, loneliness.

"I'm fine. I'll just be staying in bed a little longer," he said, fingers digging into his thighs as he listened to the soft rustling of the girl's clothing.

"Alright. Please come down to breakfast when you are ready," she said, a nervous tone evident one ach syllable. A soft smile graced Zuko's lips as he imagined the girl nervously fidgetting outside of his door.

"Thank you," he said gratefully, his words of kindness earning a soft gasp from the girl beyond the door. The smile faded as he listened to the soft tapping of her feet against the marble outside of the door, the hallway amplifying the sound of her shoe's soles enough that sneaking about the palace was rather difficult.

As the soft footsteps faded, Zuko propped his head against the firm wall behind him, his legs spreading out in front of him in the direction of the large bed. Black hair became trapped behind his head, but that didn't even register. Zuko found himself thinking back to the previous couple of weeks, as he had done nearly every day since the war's end.

**********

_The day after he had defeated Azula, he woke up expecting the familiar weight and warmth of the young Kyoshi girl at his side. Expected to find his body unable to move due to a strong arm gripping his waist, to feel the soft flesh on her chest pressed against his back as her legs entwined with his own._

_But upon opening his eyes, he had noticed almost immediately that none of the expected sensations reached him. Turning easily in the bed, he had felt his eyes widen in surprise at the sight of an empty bed behind him. Shooting into a sitting position, he looked around the room in a rush, his heart nearly beating out of his chest._

_No note, no words of parting, nothing at all. He searched the palace frantically that day, asking all the servants if they had spotted the girl. Responses to the negative each sent small cracks along his heart, memories of an oddly similar situation to his mother so many years earlier rushing to his mind._

_At the end of that day, he had locked himself in his room, dropping into a heavy state of depression and self doubt. What had he done to make her leave like that? How could she just sneak off in the night, without so much as an explanation or even a good bye? The hurt had etched itself heavily into the barely healed grooves of his heart, adding their weight to the disappointments of his life to that point._

_His mind did nothing but play him images of the younger girl that night, not affording him any opportunity for genuine rest. Exhaustion from the exertions of the day hung heavily on his body, but his mind simply would not allow him to fall into the state necessary for sleep._

_The next morning, his appointed advisor had intruded upon the young man's room, informing him of the necessities of his station. With a tone of indifference, he had accepted the words of wisdom, setting about his appointed tasks to get ready for his coronation._

_Part of him found that he was looking forward to the gathering planned for the day after, hoping that things had somehow settled down with the rest of the Avatar's group, while another part of him panicked. What if Suki showed up, and had simply decided that Sokka was better for her after all?_

_That second day after the fall of the Fire Lord the head priest had instructed him on what must be done for the coronation ceremony. Zuko had witnessed the ceremony before, so he was fairly well aware of what it entailed. His knowledge made it quicker, and had offered him time to himself before the big day._

_The chief advisor had given him the advice to get some rest before the big day. But as the sun began its slow trek across the back end of the sky that day, the young Avatar had made his presence known, a veritable parade of people accompanying the bald boy as he made his way to the palace._

_Feeling somewhat obligated as the head of state, Zuko had greeted the collection of benders in the audience chamber, the flames that had once lined the throne extinguished to give a more approachable feeling to the room._

_As the doors had swung open, Aang and his friends made their way into the room, the bald kid and Sokka making impressed noises at the sight of the palace's interior. Zuko had not been able to help but smile at the younger kid's enthusiasm for anything new, listening to the impressed whistles of appreciation for the architecture and design._

_The meeting had not been quite as awkward as he had imagined, aside from Katara's snide remarks that he looked like hell. She had laughed a bit as he explained that Suki had left, Sokka as well snickering a bit at the mention. But he paid no attention to the barbs of the pair of them._

_Toph had offered encouragement in her own way, consisting of punching his arm until he admitted to the soreness. Aang had offered his own method of apology, Zuko smiling a bit in return. As it had gotten late, he offered them rest in the palace before summoning a servant to handle their arrangements._

_The next day, he had attended his coronation, willing himself through the public spectacle without losing his composure. The Kyoshi Warriors had showed, minus their leader Suki, a fact that Zuko couldn't find himself particularly interested in._

_He had searched the crowd for any sign of the girl, any hint of her presence, any clue that she had chosen to return. But none had come. He had found facing Mai to be relatively easy to deal with, despite his still aching bitterness over how things had seemingly ended with Suki._

_Mai had been hurt, and angry, giving Zuko more than a little fear that his life could be in imminent danger at the edge of one of her daggers. But she had accepted the fact reluctantly, exclaiming that they would never meet again as she made her way out of his preparation he had not known her so well, he would have sworn that he heard a sniffle from the pale skinned beauty, but tried his best to ignore that fact._

_The next pair of weeks had gone in much a similar fashion, Zuko putting on the face of calm and able ruler for the public and dignitaries, while moping for extended periods in his room or out by the pond in the courtyard. He heard the murmurs of the servants around the palace but paid no attention to them. He had hoped the ache would disappear over time, yet he found it simply lodging itself against his heart, its grip holding tightly with each passing day._

_**********  
_

"Lord Zuko!" his advisor's voice cut through his mental meandering, snapping his mind back to the present. The urgency of the older man's voice sent a panic through Zuko' his feet hurrying towards the door to his chambers.

"What is it?" he asked, throwing the doors open as he exited the room, nearly barreling into the older man as he did. Golden eyes flashed open, scanning the surrounding corridor, looking for any hint as to what could be making the old man seem so panicked.

"There is an intruder in the palace. The guards were unable to catch the culprit. Never saw anyone move so quickly they said," he explained, his voice a hurried mass of words as he spoke to the young Fire Lord.

"An intruder? That can't be that big a deal," Zuko responded, his heart slowing a bit as he began to calm down. He was not one to worry about anything like that, figuring that he could take anyone if they tried to do anything dangerous.

"W-well, Fire Lord, the thing is that the guard at the gate reported that the intruder was dressed in black, a blue and white mask on their face," the hazel eyed man said, a hint of panic on his voice.

"A… blue and white mask you say?" Zuko asked, his own eyes widening, more in surprise than shock at the revelation. His mind sifted through the information present in his brain, wondering who could possibly be adopting his old alias.

"I think it might be the famed 'Blue Spirit' from the Earth Kingdom," Zuko's advisor suggested, the fear spiking a bit as he voiced his opinion. Zuko knew for certain that this was not the case, but still wondered who could be behind the intrusion. He smiled a bit, glad finally to have something interesting to keep his mind off of Suki.

"Don't worry. Keep searching the palace, and I'll start checking as well," he said, sending the old gentleman away. Turning towards the opposing end of the corridor, Zuko broke into a run, his bare feet making little noise against the cool marble of the floors. His mind began to race, still putting the pieces together as to who the mystery person could be.

The sounds of bustling people could be heard as he entered the courtyard, the Sun shining down brightly on the open space surrounding the small pond. Turtle ducks quacked in anticipation, seeing Zuko slow his pace as he approached the clear body of water. The tree at its side sat steadfast against the soft breeze that blew, its willowy branches swaying side to side as though completely separate from the world around it.

Looking around, he wondered if anyone had actually broken into the Fire Nation Royal Palace, finding the notion incredibly strange. If, during the entire 100 years of the war, nobody had performed such an action, why would one now that peace had been restored. His natural senses kicked in, his body rolling to the side as a figure leapt down from the tree behind him.

Pushing up with his hands, he flipped onto his feet, the baggy material of his sleepwear working well enough in the situation. Placing his hands in front of his body, he watched the slight frame of the figure rise to a standing position as well, tight fitting black cloth paired with a familiar blue and white mask.

"So, 'the Blue Spirit' is it? Who are you?" he asked sternly, the figure's only response a blow thrown right towards his head. Pulling his hands up, he deflected the heavy punch, his eyes narrowing as he grasped the slender wrist of his attacker. The black shaded figure responded with a roundhouse kick, the right leg heading straight for the side of his head.

Letting the wrist go, he ducked below the widely telegraphed blow, watching the figure use their hands as a springboard, backflipping a short distance away. The masked assailant then lunged forward, a series of quick jabs aimed at the young Lord's stomach and torso. He managed to deflect the more dangerous blows, evading the slightly wider attacks.

Thrusting his leg outward, Zuko attempted to trip the figure, to catch them off balance. But the lithe frame simply leapt from the ground, planting their hands on his shoulder as they flipped over his head. His body nearly slumped to the ground, and his mind began to settle down, a good idea of who was behind the mask hanging in his mind.

Dropping into a crouch, the young man rolled on his back, shooting his legs out towards where he figured the figure would be landing. A subtle curse sounded pleasantly on his ears as he caught the shin of his attacker. The black clothed person leapt away, the laughing mask hiding the obvious frustration of his assailant.

"What's the matter? You break into the palace, and then you lose all your motivation because I land a blow? I figured the Blue Spirit would be more challenging," Zuko taunted, smirking as he could almost see the tension rising from the lithe figure in front of him. Black cloth wavered a bit before his silent assailant launched their next attack.

Bare skin brushed against black cloth, his strong muscles deflecting the Spirit's attacks as he held a more defensive posture. He watched each movement of his assailant, making the proper defensive move in response. As the two continued their violent dance, the various guards and other servants began to gather, watching the impressive display of martial arts skills from both.

Intricate spins and quick punches followed by heavy kicks, the two bodies shifting position as two people enjoying a pleasant dance. Hollers of support for Zuko rang out from the growing crowd, the Sun's heat growing heavier as midday approached. Feeling the sweat begin to form on his body, he teasingly removed his sleep shirt, mocking the black clothed figure carefully even as some of the younger female servants swooned at the sight of their Lord.

As his own breathing began to show signs of effort, he heard the heavy panting of his "dance partner", could see the heavy rise and fall of their chest as the heat paired with the dark colored cloth made the situation that much more unbearable.

"Guess it's about time to end this," he said seriously, watching as the figure pulled their arms into a defensive posture. Tensing his muscles a bit, Zuko lunged forward with as much speed as he could muster after an hour of constant exertion. Grabbing the figure's slender wrist, he turned quickly in place, bringing the light body off of their feet.

A light squeak of panic sounded from behind the blue and white mask as his motion sent the body flying over his head. He could feel the slender frame struggling to find some sort of way to regain their balance, but he made sure to keep a strong grip on the arm. The force of his muscles rendered any such action futile, likely helped in part by the blazing Sun shining down on the usually peaceful courtyard.

Shouts of congratulations sounded from the assembled crowd as the black covered individual went crashing into the ground at Zuko's feet. Zuko could almost see the eyes blinking in surprise at the result, a smirk crossing his lips.

"Fire Lord Zuko, that was amazing. I've never seen anyone fight like that," the head guard said in admiration, approaching the pair of warriors. "I'll take charge of the prisoner, and I am sorry that you had to get involved," he said, bowing his head in shame at his ineptitude.

"No, it's alright. I have a feeling me and this particular prisoner have some talking to do. And there is nothing to be worried about. I don't know if there is anyone still in the Fire Nation who could handle 'the Blue Spirit'," he said, watching the older gentleman continue to bow to him.

"Thank you, Lord Zuko," the middle aged man said, turning to return to his post. The other spectators likewise returned to what they had been doing before, murmurs of appreciation for the Fire Lord sounding against his ears as they dispersed. Taking a seat at the edge of the small reflection pond, Zuko watched the turtle ducks begin to flock around him, quacking in anticipation of bread crumbs.

"Sorry, I don't have anything to give you guys right now. How about you, Suki?" he asked, turning his gaze to the black clothed figure taking a seat at his side. He watched as she reached behind her head, untying the strap of the mask. As the blue and white smile fell from her face, Zuko could see the sweat on her brow glistening in the midday Sun.

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**Next time, we get the conclusion of this little event. Confrontation and hurt feelings, and the inevitable making up. Maybe the 'consummation' of their relationship, but probably not. As I said, two more chapters of this. Just couldn't think of a better way to end this one, and I wanted to conclude it with a completely separate chapter of fluff leading into the meeting at the Jasmine Dragon from the end of the series. So, until next time good readers.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: Cold Feet**

**Rating: K+**

**Second to last chapter all, hope you're still enjoying this story. This chapter was a bit weird to write, and if you read it I'm sure you'll see why. Anyway, this is the requisite angst before the two lovebirds make up. Thoughts as always are welcome. Enjoy the chapter.

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"How'd you know it was me?" she asked, setting the blue and white mask on the ground between them, mustard colored straps splaying out to either side. Pulling the black hood from atop her head, Suki shook her hair out, small droplets of sweat swishing off of the dampened strands.

"Your fighting style is pretty distinct, and the 'Blue Spirit' thing was kind of a giveaway," he responded, taking the mask in his hands. Facing the painted smirk towards him, Zuko looked into the vacant holes where eyes should be, stared at the white smile.

"I guess you would know that," she responded, a bit of nervousness in her voice, a similarly nervous laugh escaping her lips. Reaching to her waist, Suki pulled the tight fitting black shirt up over her head, sighing in relief as damp skin came into contact with the fresh air of the mid day.

Silence settled between them, Zuko's golden eyes resting on the carved face in front of him, fingers tracing along the horns and then the taunting smile of the Spirit. Even as he sat in silence, his mind raced, showering him with thoughts of all sorts. Memories of times when he had donned the mask he was now holding, and thoughts of the girl now sitting to his side.

"So… um, how have you been?" Suki asked, her voice hesitant, unsure. The girl could see Zuko visibly tense up as she spoke, his fingers clutching the mask tightly. Shifting her gaze, she watched the small ripples along the surface of the pond, the small creatures floating about in their carefree manner.

"…" Zuko said nothing, his eyes still focusing on the mask in his hands. For a moment, he thought that maybe his stare would burn a hole through the carved item, that the blue and white face would simply burst into a bright reddish orange glow.

Suki shifted uncomfortably in her seat at Zuko's side, the tight wrapping around her chest feeling oddly constricting at that moment. The tension hung heavily in the air between them, something she had been fearing when she had showed up at the palace gates.

"I guess things have settled down a lot since you took over," she said, trying again to start up some kind of conversation. Pulling her legs up towards her chest, she wrapped her arms around the slender legs, gently chewing on her lower lip as she waited for any response. The seconds passed, and Zuko made no sign that he was ready to speak.

The scarred teen hung his head a bit, the messy locks of black hair falling about his face as he set the mask down again between the pair of them. His body slumped forward a bit, the hair obscuring his eyes from her sea blue gaze.

"It's kind of strange, there not being any war all of a sudden," she tried again, fingers digging into the flesh of her legs as she let her eyes close. The rustle of tree branches over head mingled with the soft sounds of his breathing, filling her ears with the subtle sounds of tranquility.

But as she turned her head hesitantly towards the young man, she could see his jaw clenched tightly, his mind making a conscious effort to keep whatever it was that he wanted to say inside. His face showed enough of the emotions for her, the hurt and the anger seeping through his tough façade.

"I'm sorry…" she said after another few moments of silence, her voice barely above a whisper as she spoke. Turning her eyes back towards the pond, she could see his body tense a bit more as the words dripped from her ruby lips, his head perking up just a bit.

"No you're not…" he responded, a harsh bitterness to his voice. Suki's heart nearly stopped to hear the icy tone on his words. She clutched her legs tighter, feeling as though the nails upon her fingers would break the skin with each passing second.

"Zuko, listen, I-"

"No, I get it. I'm just horrible to be around, and you decided to just go mess with some other guy, right?" he spat, the self control he had been practicing slipping away as the words flowed freely past his lips.

"Z-Zuko…" she tried to put up a defense against the words of hurt and anger, to explain herself in some way to the young man, but found the task difficult.

"You just leave in the middle of the night, without so much as a goodbye, without any explanation, and then you just show up two weeks later and, what, expect me to just welcome you with open arms?" he spoke, his brows knitting together as his voice rose in volume. The gentle creatures inhabiting the pond swam away quickly, squawking as they headed towards the other end of the pond.

"I-it's not like that," she tried again to explain, her heart beating quickly as she saw the look on his face. Past the anger, past the clenched jaw and furrowed brow of frustration she could see the hurt, the sadness.

"Whatever. If you didn't want to be with me, the least you could have done was have the guts to say it to my face, instead of running off like a coward," he said, pushing himself to his feet. Stray blades of grass stuck to his feet, brushing against the tensed muscles. Fists clenched at his side, he turned his back towards the younger girl, feeling all the frustration from the previous weeks seeping into his chest.

"I never said that," she responded, an almost pleading in her voice.

"You didn't have to," he said, turning his gaze back to her carefully, his eyes narrowed as he stared at the younger girl. Suki felt her body inch backwards a bit, trying to retreat from the icy stare that she was getting from the older boy. Regret sunk into her heart as she watched him turn away from her again, her mind rushing for anything to say, something to make the situation more bearable.

Fingers unclenching, Zuko turned towards the palace, hair dropping into his face as he made his way away from the girl. Suki's mind continued to rush, knowing that if he were to leave, then that would be the end of things.

"I was scared!" she shouted, head bobbing forward a bit as she spoke, the loudness of her voice scratching her throat a bit. The young Kyoshi girl heard him stop a short distance behind her, sending a short sense of relief through her body.

Turning her head a bit, she watched his movement stop, a nervous smile crossing her lips as she figured he was at least going to hear her out. Taking in a deep breath, she turned her attention to the pond once more, watching the turtle ducks congregate on the other side of the small pool of water.

A gentle breeze blew by, sending small ripples along the surface of the pond, while her hair blew gently across her face. Reaching up carefully, the girl brushed the stray strands of rust toned hair behind her ears, her eyes hazing a bit as she stared straight ahead of her.

"That night, when I was basically carrying you to your room, I heard all the whispers of the various servants. How 'a peasant could dare to be so familiar with the Fire Lord' and things like that," she explained, her heart beating a bit quicker beneath the tightly wrapped white strips of cloth on her chest.

Zuko said nothing, instead turning and slowly walking back towards the young girl, the grass at his feet tickling the sensitive skin of his soles. As he approached the pond's stone lined edge, he sat down gently, legs crossed lazily beneath his body as he waited for the girl to continue.

"When you were asleep that night, the thoughts just kept messing with my head, making me really self conscious. They were right, really. How could a simple peasant think of anything like marrying the Fire Lord," she said, laughing sarcastically at the thought. The tightness in her chest increased, eyes misting just a bit as she thought about it.

"So, finally I decided that it might be best if I just left, letting you hate me and allowing you to move on with your life, and find the right kind of wife, or something like that," she said sadly, a tear dropping from her eyes, streaking down the pale skin of her cheeks. Zuko felt a twinge of pain in his own heart, his logical mind conflicting with the emotional attachment his heart was feeling towards the girl.

Silence passed between them again, a heavy, sad sort of silence. Zuko let the information sink into his mind, wondering what his uncle would advise doing in this particular situation, given how things had unfolded. Suki felt the hot liquid tears running past her eyes, rolling down her cheeks easily.

"So, why did you come back?" Zuko asked, fingers ripping out individual blades of grass to keep his mind somewhat occupied. A light sniffle sounded from the girl at his side, and he found himself fighting the urge to turn and simply embrace the younger girl.

"I don't know. I tried to stay away, I really did. But I just couldn't. I couldn't stop thinking about you, how it must have hurt when I just left like that. How cold it seemed to sleep without that warmth from your body next to me at night, how lonely it felt," she said, the tears continuing to flow freely.

The girl pressed her forehead to her upturned knees, the salty tears seeping into the black fabric of her tight fitting pants. She felt so silly, so weak. So unlike the image she had built up for herself. A light, mirthless chuckle escaped her lips as she turned her head towards the young man.

"It must sound pretty stupid, right? I tried to do something right for someone else, but I was just too selfish in the end to give it up," she said, her lips curling forcibly at the corners, a forced smile gracing her soft features.

Zuko said nothing, simply letting his own thoughts roll around idly in his mind. She seemed genuinely broken up about the whole thing, so hurt over how she had felt. But he wondered if he could just trust her again so easily. Wondered if she might just get scared again and run off without a word.

"That doesn't explain why you never said anything. I had no idea what you were thinking, whether or not I should be worried, if I had done anything wrong," he said, letting his heart do the speaking for him. The girl sniffled again, wiping at her tear stained cheeks with the back of her hand.

"I know," she said, knowing that there was really nothing else that she could say in that situation. The girl bit her lip in frustration, the scene not quite playing out as she had pictured it in her mind. Part of her had played it out more romantically, with her exclaiming her undying love for the handsome young man, and the pair embracing tenderly, pledging that they would be together forever.

But the other part of her knew that such a scene was not likely to play out. She had done something so cold, so selfish that it had added to the numerous scars on the young Lord's heart, adding to his well earned sense of doubt in others.

"I guess I blew it, huh?" she said sadly, heavily pulling herself to her feet. Brushing off the stray blades of grass on her pants, the young girl then wiped the remaining streaks of tears from her cheeks, staring down at the ground at her feet.

Gathering the still damp black shirt, she turned away from the young Fire Lord, the warm black fabric draped across her shoulder. Her feet moved heavily, her heart breaking more with each step. The girl's mind kept reminding her that she had blown it, that it was her own fault, even as her heart told her to stay, to try and straighten things up.

"So that's it, you're just going to leave again? Did you mean any of what you said?" his voice stopped her in her tracks, the slight cracking of the usually deep voice brushing against her sensitive ears. Turning her head slightly, she watched as Zuko brought himself to his feet, making his way slowly towards her.

"You come in here, apologize for being selfish, then just leave before I can say anything?" he asked, no coldness in his voice, only a sense of hurt, of longing. The girl's heart warmed, despite the messages still transmitting from her mind.

"Suki, I meant all of what I said. I don't care what the servants or anyone else thinks about things. But I need to know if you can handle it. I want to know that you're not just going to run off if things get hard," he said, stopping a hair's breadth away from the girl. Looking down into her soft blue eyes, he reached up, running his right thumb across the wet streak along her cheek.

"Z-Zuko, what are you saying?" she asked, her breath catching in her throat as her heart began to beat faster. A warmth began to creep through her stomach, up her body before flaring across her cheeks. It was a feeling she had missed greatly the two weeks they had spent apart, a feeling she knew deep down she did not want to be without.

"I'm saying that if you can look me in the eyes and tell me that you have no more doubts, then I'm willing to give it another try," he said honestly, the molten pools of gold boring deeply into her own sea blue spheres.

Suki gave no verbal response, her heart nearly bursting in enthusiasm as she threw her arms around his neck, ruby lips pressing roughly against his. Different tears flowed from her eyes, tears of happiness and relief. Zuko, despite his still remaining hesitance, felt a smile cross his own lips, savoring the taste of strawberries coating her lips.

"Zuko, are you sure? I thought you'd be super pissed, or never want to speak to me again," Suki said as she pulled away from him, her cheeks flushed around plumped lips. Zuko reached around, wrapping his arm around the girl's slender waist.

"Well, for the last two weeks, I haven't known what to do. I was a total wreck, from not knowing what happened. I guess, I just missed you a lot more than I would have thought," he admitted, feeling silly himself for just speaking so freely.

"More than you would have thought?" she asked somewhat sarcastically, her right brow rising as she questioned the young man.

"Yeah. Usually when someone decides to just ditch me it's more like 'fine, I don't need you anyway'," he said, smiling a bit as the girl tried to feign hurt under the circumstances. The smile stayed as he leaned in, capturing the full lips with his once again, his tongue gently probing the edge of her lower lip.

Moaning softly into the young man's mouth, Suki pressed against his chest, pulling her lips from his. Panting a bit, the girl stared into his heated golden eyes. "I never knew you were so forgiving, Zuko," she said, honestly surprised by his willingness to just forgive her.

"I know what it's like, to leave someone because you're looking out for them," he said, his smile fading as he thought of the girl in Ba Sing Se, as well as his former girlfriend Mai. Suki's warm hands found their way to his cheeks, her eyes smoldering a bit in challenge.

"Oh, now this is a story I am sure I would love to hear," she said, eyes narrowing slightly as she looked up at the young man. Zuko found a smile tugging again at his lips, his fingers pinching the girl's butt playfully, causing the lithe frame to jump just a bit in surprise.

"Some other time. I think first we need to bathe. It's still only mid-day, after all, and we're both all sweaty," he said teasingly, reminding the girl of his most recent victory over her a short time earlier. "That reminds me, what made you just jump out of the tree and attack me like that? And where did you get the mask?" he asked, removing his arm from its perch around her waist as he made his way over towards the mask.

"Well, the mask is hopefully the same one you threw away," she said, climbing up into the tree above, pulling out a small pack she had brought with her. Pulling the sack down, she watched as Zuko picked up the mask, seemingly looking for any sign that it was not the same mask.

"How did you find it then?" he asked, turning towards her with the mask in hand. Suki hoisted the pack over her shoulder, watching as Zuko made his way over towards her, picking up the discarded sleep shirt as he walked.

"You told me you dropped it in Lake Laogai, so when I was in Ba Sing Se I decided to give it a look. It was surprisingly easy. You'd be surprised how few white and blue masks get discarded in the shallow part of the lake," she said sarcastically, Zuko nearly slapping his palm against his forehead at the statement.

"But why did you go through the trouble? It should have been buried, or at least washed away," he said, wondering how the item could still be causing him trouble so many weeks after letting go of it.

"Hmm, maybe I just got lucky. I figured it would be nice to have something to remind you of who you used to be," she said, following Zuko as he made his way into the palace's interior, running his thumb idly over the white lines of the blue mask.

"And about the surprise attack?" he asked, tearing his attention away from the well carved mask. Suki's lips curled into a look of playfulness as she tapped her chin in thought.

"Well, I wanted to make sure your skills weren't getting rusty from being pampered so much in the palace. And it sure looks like they haven't," she said, rubbing her slightly sore lower back in illustration. The two shared a light laugh as they approached Zuko's room, his personal attendant bowing as he approached.

"Ah, Wen Xiu, would you run a bath for my friend please?" Zuko asked politely, watching with a bit of amusement as the girl bowed respectfully, her long black braid swaying behind her as she straightened. "Suki, she'll take care of you, so just follow her, alright?" he said, Suki nodding in some frustration.

"Geez, I'm not some little kid who needs to be instructed on what to do," she said, the younger girl in front of Zuko's door motioning for Suki to follow her towards the location of the bath chamber.

Zuko watched as the pair of girls disappeared down the corridor, waiting until they were out of sight before slipping into his own room. Closing the door, he made his way towards the dresser, pulling out a simple set of clothes before heading into his own private washroom to the right side of his chambers.

Turning the necessary dial, Zuko watched the clear liquid fill the large basin, ripples following the surface of the water as it flowed from the faucet. Steam billowed upwards lazily, filling the room with the slightly moist heat. Sticking his finger into the pooling water, he smiled at the soothing feeling of the hot water.

Removing the dried but now uncomfortable sleep pants, the young man slipped into the hot water, his remaining clothing tossed near the door. He watched the steam billow about the room, filling the usually cool tiled room with white puffs. The ache in his muscles vanished entirely in the hot water, his body relaxing easily within the steaming pool.

Reaching out, he turned the dial, stopping the flow of water. As the stream slowed to a trickle, then a single drop, Zuko leaned back against the now warm tile of the bath, taking in the steam as he breathed deeply. Opening his eyes, he let them rest against the ceiling above, the crimson tiles staring back at him lazily.

His face set in a straight look, not quite a frown but definitely not a smile either. He let his mind drift, thinking about what he could do about the situation regarding Suki. He felt a bit bad, knowing that if she were to stay with him then she would be giving up her position with the Kyoshi Warriors. And he knew how much she prided her warrior skills, just as he felt pride in his own skills.

As he thought, his eyes slowly began to close, his body relaxing too much within the heated steam of the bath. Against the back of his eyelids, he saw images of the young Kyoshi girl play through his mind. Thoughts of flushed cheeks, full lips and piercing blue eyes filled his mind, bringing a smile to his face.

Just as his mind was about to fade into sleep, the young Fire Lord forced his eyes open, blinking a few times to get the haze of sleep from them. Tossing a handful of water in his face, he wiped the traces of sweat from his skin, feeling a bit of the water dripping from his loose hanging bangs.

Once he was satisfied that he was cleaned up, he pulled the stopper from the drain, watching as the water began to swirl down the small hole. The whirlpool of water sucked down the water, like an insatiable vacuum. Soapy water flowed easily down the drain, the sound of the pipes working sounding gently in his ears.

As he approached the large mirror attached to the wall, Zuko picked up his towel, dabbing at the damp mass of hair atop his head. Looking himself over in the mirror, he felt no desire to do any particularly in depth cleaning, simply soaking up the water lining his skin before slipping into the clothes he had pulled from the dresser prior to his bath.

As relaxing as the steam and hot water were to his body, the rush of cool air as he entered his room was that much more invigorating, the coolness of the air brushing against the flushed skin upon his body.

"Geez, I was wondering what was taking you so long. Must be feeling pretty lazy," Suki's voice sounded from the center of his bed, his mind playing back to similar situations when they were staying on Ember Island. Tossing the towel atop the dresser, Zuko made his way towards the bed, his energy giving out as he reached the edge of the comfortable piece of furniture.

"What, I can't just relax once in a while?" he asked, the front of his body crashing lazily into the comfortable silks and satins lining the bed. Arms stretched outward, he felt the sleep he had fought off returning, the cool feeling from the sheets and other beddings seeping into his still warm skin.

"Nobody's saying that. Though I don't imagine your advisors will take too kindly to you just taking a day off," Suki teased, earning a low groan from the young man. She watched as he shifted in his position, just so that his face was not buried in the indented sheets.

"Well, I think I've earned a day off," he said in something of a huff, his voice strained as he tried to keep himself awake. With some additional exertion, he got his body up towards the pillow, propping the back of his head against the soft down as he flipped onto his back.

"So, care to tell me about your personal experiences of running off into the night without any word?" Suki asked, taking up position at Zuko's right, the crimson shirt she wore opened enough to grant the young man an inappropriately good look at her chest.

"Maybe some other time. Besides, there's not really much to tell. Let's just say I had some bad experiences with dating," he said, placing his hands against his chest, eyes falling closed as the girl nestled up next to him.

"Well, I guess you deserve one day of peace before I start interrogating you on all your past girlfriends," she joked, playfully jabbing the older boy in the side as she rested her head on his strong shoulder.

"Thanks. It's much appreciated," he said, moving one of his arms around the girl's shoulders, pulling her closer to him as his mind began to blank. Soon he found himself in a familiar state, his mind showing him pleasant images as the young girl from Kyoshi Island rested next to him.

As Zuko's chest began to rise and fall with the steady rhythm indicative of sleep, Suki let her own eyes hood closed, clutching tightly at the young man as her arm snaked across his waist. She felt a smile tug at her ruby toned lips, her nostrils filling with the familiar traces of embers and ash. The auburn haired girl sighed heavily, her own mind drifting off as she played back the events of the day.

It hadn't gone quite as she had planned, but the result was the same. She had found her place, and she was certainly not going to give it up any time soon.

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**Ah, only one more chapter to go. Next one will probably be a bit longer, and have almost 100% fluff to enjoy, as the cap to the story. We get another bit of a timeskip, to see how the two interact in the Royal palace after a couple of weeks. As I said, almost pure fluff, leading to the meeting at the Jasmine Dragon from the end of the series, which will obviously have some changes. I took count of the fans' votes, and I decided that the Sokka pairing at the end will be Ty Lokka, so look forward to a short little scene with them next time as well. Anyway, until next time good readers.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: Idiots and Forgiveness  
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**Rating: T**

**Ah, here we are at last, the final chapter of this story. It has been a long time coming, and I thank all of you who have been reading it until this point. All the support has been great. This one is a good deal longer than other chapters, a special for the last chapter. As it is the final chapter, I am unsure how it ended. The ending of a full story is hard to write. Hope you enjoy this long chapter, and thanks again for all the support.

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Setting the parchment on the flat surface of the desk, Zuko gave the document a final look, being sure that he had at least a good idea of what it was saying. Once he was satisfied with the wording choice and other important aspects, the young man reached across the large table, taking the royal seal into his hand.

Dipping the rubber item into a patch of ink, he carefully placed it over the appropriate spot near the bottom of the beige paper. Carefully pressing it down, he kept it in place for a moment, making sure that the marking was clear and not blurred. Another moment passed before he carefully pulled the carved instrument from the paper.

The brown toned dragon atop the small piece dug gently into the skin of his hand, the satisfying sight of red ink coming into view as the item was pulled from the document. Blowing gently on the inked mark, he could almost feel the mark drying on the paper, moisture disappearing as it set into the parchment.

Reaching back across the table, Zuko set the carved wood back in its usual position, giving the parchment one final look. A new trade agreement between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom, one that would hopefully benefit both nations as they attempted to rebuild from years of war between their nations.

Rolling the piece of paper up, he tied a cord loosely around the scroll, before setting the document atop a small pile of similar documents. Leaning back in his tall backed chair, Zuko felt a sigh of relief pass through his lips, glad that at last he was done with his official duties for the day.

Looking out the window to his right, he watched as the mid afternoon Sun's light beamed through the clear glass, filtering lazily into the musty room. The smell of books and paper hung heavily in the air, giving the study quite the feel of importance and boredom both at once.

"Lord Zuko, I take it you have finished reading over the proposals?" Zuko's attention was drawn to the door of his study, a tall man making his way towards the young Fire Lord, crimson robes lined in gold swishing as he walked. The white haired man stopped a short distance away, bowing respectfully towards the young man.

"Oh, yes I have finished, just a minute ago in fact," Zuko said, feeling a bit nervous about talking with the older man for some reason. Reaching out, he grasped the pile of rolled up parchment as he brought himself to his feet. "I put our agreement on a few of these, but a few others need some reworking," he said, handing the stamped ones to his advisor as he set the rest back atop the table.

"The issue of reparations?" his advisor ventured a guess, his words causing a small frown to form on the young man's lips.

"Yes. The anger from the war is still quite fresh, but we cannot just roll over and accept their terms. I think we should set up a face to face meeting, to hash out the differences," Zuko suggested, the wise older man smiling a bit at the thought.

"Yes, that would be most beneficial. I will look into setting it up," the man said, bowing gently towards Zuko before turning back towards the door. Zuko couldn't help but smile, grateful that he had managed to hire such a trustworthy gentleman as his advisor. But his uncle certainly had some good connections, so he should have known that anyone suggested by his uncle would be of good character.

"Thank you, Jie," Zuko said, bowing in return as the older gentleman stopped just outside of the door. The scarred teen watched as the white haired man turned his head just a bit, the slightest hint of a smirk on his lips.

"By the way, Miss Suki is at the training grounds," he said, leaving before Zuko could offer any kind of argument. As though he would argue. Zuko groaned only a bit, wondering how the people in the palace seemed to always be able to read his mind so easily. Tugging at his flowing robe, Zuko removed the uncomfortable garment, setting the black and crimson finery on the high back of the chair.

Making his way towards the window, Zuko watched the world beyond the Palace's gates, small plumes of smoke rising from a few of the homes of the Imperial City. He let his mind wander, picturing what kind of lives the common people in town must be enjoying. A smile graced his lips as he switched his gaze towards the courtyard below, watching the small dots that marked the turtle ducks moving about the small pond near the center.

The stone walkway making its way through the courtyard seemed to shine in the late afternoon Sun, the colors on the horizon already shifting towards light tones of yellow and orange. Tree branches swayed in front of his vision, casting their dancing shadows against the bright green grass surrounding the stone lined pond.

He watched as the grass seemed to sway, to move like a small green sea. Memories passed through his mind, memories of a life at sea, of music nights and roughly barked orders. Thoughts of honor and returning home and a supposedly fruitless quest. Shadows of a cruel, wicked father, whose abuse and callousness had tainted both of his offspring.

The thought of his family brought separate feelings to the teen's heart, pity and sadness for his sister, who had turned out so similar to their father, confusion and concern for his mother, who had sacrificed everything to protect her only son from the wrath of her own husband. Zuko's fists tightened with the thought of his mother, his fingers nearly breaking as they clutched the yellow lined sill of the window.

Closing his eyes, the young man took in a few deep breaths, feeling his body calming down with the exercise. In. Out. In. Out. Slowly his temperature cooled down, molten gold eyes opening to the sight of the sky above. Leaning out the window, he felt the warming glow of the Sun on his pale skin, the almost imperceptible breeze blowing the messy locks of black hair about his face.

He let a whole life flash before his eyes, a transformation from the boy begging his father's forgiveness for 'speaking out of turn' to sea going prince, banished from the nation of his birth at his father's command. A shift from the angry banished Prince to confused refugee, unsure of his place in the world. Yet another metamorphosis from the faceless 'Lee' to confused and angry Prince, welcomed back into a world of intrigue with no clue as to who he was anymore.

Finally the change from angry young man to fighter for justice, joining those who he had ruthlessly hunted for nearly a year to help put an end to the war. A smile graced his lips as his mind shifted to the auburn haired girl, the young woman from Kyoshi Island who he had incidentally met so many months earlier.

Thoughts of the ruby lips, the rust toned hair, the sleek, slender frame of her body each burst into his mind. He thought back to their first night really talking, when she had brought him out to that beach on Ember Island. He laughed a bit as he recalled her frustrated look each time he beat her in a spar, the way her lips would purse and her cheeks would flush with her frustration.

"So, she's at the training grounds, huh? I guess I should go for a walk," he said to nobody in particular, pushing off of the window sill as he turned towards the door. His feet moved easily, with a distinct purpose. The young man had to try hard not to break into a run, a sudden anxiousness to see the girl bursting into his chest.

Making his way into his personal chambers, Zuko rummaged through his closet, pulling out a comfortable set of clothes similar to that he had worn when in the company of the Avatar's group. Pulling his arms through the dark red shirt, he fastened the black lining together, pulling the similarly blood red pants up beneath the edge of the shirt.

Tightening a crimson sash around his waist, he sighed in relief. He didn't mind wearing the official robes, putting on the show of royalty for whatever important officials might pop in for a visit, but he always preferred the simpler clothing that he had been forced to accept. Pulling a more comfortable pair of boots onto his feet, he made his way towards the entrance to the palace, offering honest greetings to each servant he passed.

"You are going out?" Zuko stopped as a booming voice sounded from near the entrance. Turning his head to the right, he noticed the large figure of the chief of his personal body guards. He had been talked into accepting a troop of bodyguards by his uncle, who seemed to suspect that Zuko would not be safe right away.

"Yes, Wei. I am going to pay a surprise visit to Suki at the training grounds. I figure it would be nice to walk among the people as well," Zuko said, running his fingers lazily through his hair as he spoke.

"Then let me accompany you. It is not safe-" Zuko stopped the brown haired man with a raised hand, a confident smile on his face. Meeting the man's hazel toned eyes, Zuko shook his head gently.

"No, that will be alright. I thank you for your concern, but I will be fine," Zuko said, bowing to the older gentleman before turning once more towards the large door marking the entrance to the palace. As he strode forward he pushed firmly on the door, the creaking of the hinges echoing throughout the large foyer at the front of the palace.

He knew that the middle aged man had his heart in the right place, but for short trips he had made it clear that he could handle it. Zuko also knew that there would probably be some "covert" guards tailing him, but that was just part of the compromise.

'_I wonder if I should try and make it hard for them,'_ he thought as he strode down the wide avenue between the entrance and the gates of the palace. Motioning his hands as he approached, he watched two strong men push on the gate, the heavy metal grinding against the stone beneath as they slowly opened.

As he slipped beyond the gate, Zuko figured it would be alright to simply take a leisurely stroll towards the grounds that Suki had taken up for herself. Looking down the street, Zuko sighed in relief as the old crowds of onlookers had thinned. He was glad at times like this that he had taken to observing the city firsthand, allowing the people to get used to their new Fire Lord so that it would not be a big deal.

It had become common knowledge among the citizens that Zuko liked to do his own thing, which included previously unheard of practices like eating at more common eateries and helping out with the occasional construction project. Due to his time in the Earth Kingdom, he had grown closer to the more common people, and had put that thought into practice even as the new ruler of the most powerful of the three remaining nations.

His feet slowly tapped against the stone road, only an occasional squeak of a female onlooker marking his way through the city. Zuko allowed himself to observe the bustling town, watching as the people went about their daily routines. Stalls lined with people, selling all sorts of goods and services.

The din of gossip and common talk brushed against his ears, the reds and similar tones dotted with the occasional patches of blue or olive. The smile on his face widened as he watched a red clad fire bender and a blue clad water bender arguing, each getting into their respective bending stances.

He stopped for a moment, wanting to be sure that there was not something sinister going on. Part of him wanted to march right over and break it up, but he knew that such actions could simply cause things to get worse. The fight didn't last long, as the water bender was apparently much more adept with his element.

The blue clad man stood over his drenched opponent, the frustrated groan of the crowd indicating the winner of the little squabble. Zuko watched as the water bender offered the fire bender his hand, a grin of triumph on his face. Zuko overheard something about buying lunch as the two men entered a restaurant, wide grins on their faces as retribution was promised.

Letting loose the breath he had been holding, Zuko again headed off towards the direction of the dojo that Suki operated, wondering what she would have made of the scene. In the distance, he saw the somewhat impressive structure come into view beyond carved stone and tile of the surrounding buildings.

The crowd thinned as he made his way towards the more open portion of the town, willowy trees visible beyond the wall surrounding the structure. Zuko offered gentle smiles and subtle bows to the few people he encountered, watching the dark red tile of the building's roof come clearer into view.

After walking for nearly half an hour, the young man slipped beyond the gate marking the entrance of the compound. Large stones marked the walkway, the familiar trees and grasses filling in the space between the wall and the structure. Near the far corner, he could see a meditation pond, a few training dummies lining the wall nearby.

Placing his hands loosely behind his back, Zuko made his way towards the simple looking structure, watching the small gold carvings at the corners of the roof as they caught the slowly sinking Sun's light. Small stone sculptures lined the path, some of an unfamiliar animal that Zuko had spotted now and then on his journey.

As he approached the rice paper door to the dojo, Zuko listened to the sound of fighting from inside, a light murmur of the onlookers lying atop the focused sound. He smirked as he imagined the young Kyoshi girl handling one of her new protégés, how confident she must be looking at that moment.

Focused sound gave way to a gentle thud, followed by Suki's clear voice instructing her charges. Reaching out towards the door, Zuko slid it open, feeling a bit surprised as the rather large group of girls turned their attention towards him. Part of him felt like simply darting out of the building as the girls began to whisper to one another.

His body temperature lowered a bit at the cool glare that Suki offered him, her red robe wrapped loosely around her slender frame. Ever since his uncle had told him of Jin's crush on him in Ba Sing Se, Zuko had become a bit more aware of the attention that girls paid him, a feeling he was getting from the increased whispers of the girls in front of Suki.

"Alright. It's time to call it quits for today, but I expect you all to be ready to work just as hard tomorrow," Suki's voice boomed throughout the wide open room, drawing the attention back from all the girls. They each snapped to attention, legs folded neatly beneath their bodies as they responded.

"Yes, ma'am," they each said, standing and bowing before making their way towards the entrance. Zuko stood off to the side, watching as Suki made her way towards the young man with steady, purposeful strides. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed the furtive glances that he was getting from some of the girls, slight blushes on pale, white cheeks as they passed.

The red garments they wore swayed as they walked, the design reminding him all over again of the Kyoshi Island. His attention was drawn away from the gaggle of girls as a slender finger pressed against the side of his head, his neck nearly snapping as he turned his attention to the obviously annoyed young woman.

"Geez, if you're going to flirt, you can at least have the coommon sense not to do it right in front of me," she said, her voice clear with an obviously teasing tone. Zuko grasped the girl's hand, pulling it from its resting place against his forehead.

"Sorry, I'll remember to do it in secret next time," he teased, rolling his eyes in mocking as the girl nudged him in the arm. Zuko let a short chuckle escape his lips as he watched Suki stalk off towards the far end of the dojo. Zuko followed her idly, his eyes scanning the brightly lit room as he walked.

"So, what are you really here for?" Suki asked from behind a screen. Turning his attention towards the white material, he watched the outline of her body as she removed the heavy body armor, setting it on the dummy used to hold the item. He rested against a nearby pillar, watching her slender body as she undid the black sash at her waist, before removing the heavy red kimono.

"Just felt like taking a walk, and figured it would be nice to see how things are going," he said easily, trying not to let on that he was observing her well toned form through shadows along the makeshift barrier.

"So, you wanted to check up on me?" she asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice as she suggested one possible ulterior motive. Zuko sighed deeply, crossing his arms against his chest as he stood against the flat surface of the wooden pillar.

"No. I just wanted to make sure you're not working the girls too hard," he said honestly, knowing that not everyone would be able to stand up to Suki's harsh brand of training and working out. He listened to the soft rustling of fabric as the girl pulled a light shirt over her head, her hair ruffling a bit with the gesture.

Her body bent a bit at the waist as she tugged a pair of pants up along her toned legs, Zuko's cheeks flushing just a bit as his mind filled in the blanks of the image. As she tightened her belt around her waist, Suki moved from behind the screen, fixing her hair in her usual loosely fitted topknot, a small bag hanging from her left shoulder.

"Well, they're doing alright. And no, I'm not working them too hard," Suki said, straightening her tight fitting crimson pants as she approached the young man. She tossed Zuko the bag, a teasing smile on her face. "Since you're here, you can make yourself useful and carry that," she said, snickering as he groaned in protest.

"Well, I'm glad for that. As long as they're not pushing _you_ too hard," Zuko teased, earning another light hearted nudge from the younger girl. He smirked a bit as he voiced a weak apology.

"Of course not. I guess you need another demonstration of my skills," she said, her brow quirking upward as she suggested a spar. Zuko placed his hands in front of him defensively, not enjoying the prospect of sparring at that particular moment.

"No, I'm plenty familiar with your battle prowess," Zuko said, remembering all the times they had sparred, his smirk widening a bit as he remembered that he had not quite lost to the girl at any point yet. Suki nudged him a bit harder in the arm as she seemingly read his mind, her lips pursing as she too thought of it.

"Hey, I'm getting better. One of these days you'll be on the losing end, and then we'll see how cocky you are," she said, the frown falling a bit as she looked ahead of her. The light from the outside began to darken, the sound of their soft footsteps the only sound echoing inside of the structure.

"Yeah. You are getting better. I guess it helps that you get to practice every day while I'm handling boring state matters," Zuko said, making an almost childish gagging sound at the mention of all his paperwork. Suki chuckled a bit at his expense, turning to close the door as they exited into the quickly darkening evening sky.

"I certainly don't envy all of that," she said, giving the grounds of her dojo an appreciative look, watching the gentle swaying of the hanging branches of the few trees spotting the grounds. "I really need to thank Piandao for his help getting this place going," she said, turning her attention towards Zuko as she walked through the opened gate.

Hoisting the pack onto his back, Zuko grasped the large brass handles of the heavy red doors, straining his muscles as he pulled them closed. Taking a gentle breath, he turned back towards the town, Suki walking a short distance to his right. "Yeah, it's weird how well things can go if you know someone in the Order of the White Lotus," he said, knowing that this was another thing he needed to thank his uncle for.

"I should thank you as well, Zuko. I mean, for letting me set all this up," she said, clasping his hand in hers as they walked. Zuko let his fingers slip between hers, smiling at the gentle warmth of her skin against his.

"No need to thank me. It's the least I can do to make you as comfortable as possible. I know what it's like to be away from your homeland," he said, a tint of sadness creeping into his words as she spoke. Suki responded by leaning her head against his shoulder, smiling at his nervous thoughtfulness.

"It's really not that hard. Not when you're with someone you love," she responded, blushing gently at her own words. The girl felt his body twitch a bit as he chuckled gently, hishand clutching hers a bit more tightly.

"It's also good to give the people of the city something to do as well. Let them get to know their future Fire Lady, and let you keep some sense of normalcy," he continued, his mind wandering just a bit. "But, personally I like the red better than the old green," he said, reminding himself of the appealing appearance of the young girl in her Fire Nation themed garb.

"Well, when I do beat you, you better look forward to the whole get up. Green kimono, hea dress and face paint, the whole deal," Suki responded, laughing heartily at Zuko's frustrated growl. She really wanted to see him embarrassed with the whole get up, remembering how amusing it had been to see Sokka in the female warrior's dress.

"All the more reason I have to keep my skills sharp, so that doesn't happen," Zuko responded, not enjoying the thought of dressing up like a girl nearly as much as Suki seemed to.

The pair made their way through the town towards the palace, stopping briefly for a bit of sweets at one of the stalls lining the street. They laughed easily, greeting the few citizens who lined the streets. While a few younger girls swooned over the young Fire Lord, a few younger men could be noticed ogling the beautiful young woman on his arm.

Lamplights along the wide avenue flickered to life, an eerie but wondrous soft orange glow lighting the streets as the Sun began to sink into the horizon. Zuko and Suki watched as the encompassing glow of the large sphere of light gave way to the more intimate, gentle light from the individual lamps.

Various scents rose from the occasional restaurant they passed along the way, smells of spices and cooked meat hanging pleasantly in the air. Zuko suggested that they stop and enjoy some food, Suki's growling stomach accepting his invitation on her behalf.

They chose a random restaurant, making their way into the well lit little shop. The manager made his way towards them from behind his counter, a soft murmur going up among the patrons of the restaurant as the pair were escorted to a table near the far window. Zuko thanked the man along with Suki as he handed them their menus. The short, somewhat fat older man folded his hands in front of him, a nervous sweat appearing on his brow as he awaited the order from the current Fire Lord.

Zuko and Suki each chuckled a bit at the man's nervousness, knowing that it might have been well earned by Zuko's predecessor. After trying to calm the man with little success, the pair placed their simple order. The man's long brown hair swung side to side as he hurried towards the kitchen, leaving the pair of teens confused and concerned.

"Seems people are afraid of you or something, Zuko," Suki whispered in his ear, earning a sigh from the scarred teen.

"People are still scared of my father. I wonder how long it will be before people realize that I'm not him," he said, a wisp of sadness passing in his words as he spoke. Suki reached across the table, reassuringly holding his hand as he looked towards her.

"I'm sure it'll happen soon. Especially if you keep hanging out around town," she said, her ruby toned lips pulling into a smile as she spoke. Zuko returned the gesture, nodding his head weakly as he sat back in his chair. The two made small talk as they waited for their food, the delicious smell of cooked meat hanging pleasantly in their nostrils.

After a few agonizing minutes of waiting, the manager appeared from the kitchen, holding a tray containing the delectable looking food they had ordered. Their mouths very nearly began to water at the sight, watching as the older gentleman made his way nervously towards the pair.

Zuko tried again to assuage the man's nervousness, to let him know that nothing was going to harm him for no reason. The man nervously placed the plates on the table, the china clattering gently along with his twitching muscles. Zuko sighed deeply as Suki shrugged her shoulders, the pair thanking the man as he set their drinks down on the table.

As the manager excused himself, Zuko and Suki began on their meal, eyes closing on instinct at the delectable taste in their mouths. Zuko made a mental note that he could definitely see himself becoming a regular of this establishment. Noticing the way that Suki was attacking her meal, he also noted that she seemed to share the same opinion.

Once he finished his meal, Zuko settled back into the chair, rubbing his stomach in satisfied bliss, sipping on the last of the spiced tea he had ordered. Looking across the table, he noticed a similar look on Suki's face, her lips pulled wide into a contented smile. Shifting his gaze a bit, he noticed a small grain of rise on the girl's face just at the corner of her soft lips.

Feeling a bit mischievous, Zuko leaned across the table, pressing his lips to the spot with the rice, sucking the grain of food into his mouth. He watched Suki flush only slightly, a playful grin on his face as he settled back into his seat. They enjoyed the warm closeness offered by the small table, making small talk as they let the food work through their bodies.

Finally they decided it was time to head back to the palace, Zuko not looking forward to the stern looks and talking to he was likely to get from his advisor and the chief of his personal bodyguards. As he approached the counter, the manager nervously offered that the Fire Lord was to eat free of charge, a notion that left Zuko both flattered and oddly nervous. Looking to Suki, he tried to gauge some sort of response as to what he should do in that situation.

The girl shrugged her shoulders, not knowing what could be done. She watched as an idea seemed to pop into Zuko's head, as he leaned over the counter. Zuko made a deal with the manager that he would be allowed to visit the place whenever he wished, but would pay the normal rate. The manager was obviously nervous about the fact, but Zuko made it known that it would be that way.

It had to be known that any place visited on a regular basis by the Fire Lord would see a spike in business, something that the manager seemed to figure after a moment's thought. The two bowed in respect, before Zuko escorted Suki towards the palace.

"Man, the perks of shacking up with the Fire Lord are pretty nice. Free meals and everything," Suki joked, playfully nudging the young man in the side as they walked along the dimly lit street.

"So that's all I'm worth, huh? Just a free meal?" he said sarcastically, feigning hurt as they approached the tall gate of the palace. Giving his special signal, Zuko got the gate to open, the large gatekeepers bowing in deference to the regent of their nation as he passed. Suki laughed a bit as they entered the now familiar grounds, shifting her arm through his as they walked.

"No, but it's always good to see positives where they are," she answered honestly, her head again finding its way to his shoulder. The girl sighed as his arm snaked around her waist, pulling her closer as they slipped easily into the palace. Both teens froze as the head of Zuko's personal guards moved from his position just inside the front entrance of the palace, his arms crossing against his chest as he watched them turn towards him.

Bowing his head a bit, Zuko apologized for being gone so long, dragging Suki into it by mentioning that she wanted to stop for something to eat. The older gentleman blinked a few times as the pair began to jokingly argue, the auburn haired girl punching Zuko in the arm playfully as she tried to whisper for him not to involver her in such issues.

The large man found himself smiling as he watched the two, clearing his throat to draw their attention to him. He kept his hazel eyes set as they lowered their arms to their sides, nearly chuckling to himself at the humbled demeanor of the boy who was technically his boss.

He gave Zuko a final warning, a warm smile on his face as the younger boy nodded in agreement. The older gentleman disappeared into the palace as Zuko thanked him for the "secretive" body guards assigned to him when he was in town. Stopping at the entrance to the entrance to the interior of the palace, the chief guard smiled warmly as he watched the two playfully bicker on their way towards the Fire Lord's chambers.

"God, you didn't have to put all the blame on me like that," Suki spoke in a huff, her heart still racing as they made their way down the large hall. She had seen how harshly the chief of the guards could act, and didn't want to deal with that kind of punishment at such an hour.

"Well, it was true," Zuko responded, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly as they reached the entrance to his chambers. Reaching for the golden handle of the door, he watched as Suki attempted a comeback, her lips pursing as none came to mind. Smiling in minor triumph, Zuko turned the handle, pushing the door open as the younger girl made her way past him.

"That doesn't mean you had to actually tell him that," she said, making her way towards the large dresser near the door to their shared chamber. Feeling a loss of energy, Zuko made his way lazily towards the large bed they shared, sighing in comfort as his body sunk into the soft material of the mattress.

"It's not my fault that you wanted to stop for dinner," he said, slowly rolling onto his back, his golden eyes watching the girl as she pulled a few items from the dresser. Pulling his hands behind his head, he propped himself up against the large, plush pillow, fingers knitting together as they cradled his head.

"Doesn't mean you had to put all the blame on me," she muttered, gathering her clothes as she entered the bathroom. Zuko sighed heavily as he heard the distinct sound of running water, followed by the splashing sound signaling the filling of the large tub. His mind teased him with images of the girl's bare form within the heated water, the thought bringing a shy smile to his face.

Turning his head to the side, he gazed out at the stars beyond the window, the small pinhole sized lights shining through the black shroud of the night. The sound of sloshing water echoed gently in his ears as he listened, his eyes focusing on the individual lights in the sky, the smaller ones dwarfed in brightness by the large orb of the Moon.

Pale light rained down easily on the world below, not enough to offer the brightness of the Sun, but enough to guide one's path when walking at night. Not enough to offer any warmth against the night's cool chill, but soothing with its calm presence. Zuko tried to imagine such an object having any impact on the flowing of the tides, to picture an untouchable object affecting the world on which they lived.

The image of the rolling tides pushed its way into his mind, his eyes closing slowly with the nearly hypnotic rhythm. Splashing water from the tub in the next room transformed into the foamy crashing of waves, small waves lapping at a small metallic ship. The world around him seemed to respond to his vision, the bed beneath him feeling as though it had begun to shift around like his old quarters.

His eyes flashed open as he felt a dampness on his face, his heart beating as his mind attempted to piece together the information. For a brief instant, he had an unexplainable fear that he was back on that old ship, that all the life he had lived had been some kind of cruel dream that he was just now waking from.

But as he brought himself into a sitting position, he felt a damp cloth against his face, the suddenly dark world pierced by the sound of highly amused laughter. Pulling the towel from his face, he stared at the young woman, her body wrapped in a silky blue robe. In the moderate light of the room, he could see the sheen of the smooth fabric around the subtle curves of her body.

Taking the towel in hand, he tossed it towards the girl, who caught it with ease even as she continued to laugh. Zuko felt an embarrassed flush cross his cheeks as the girl made her way towards the large vanity to the left of the large window. Setting the damp cloth against the top edge of the large mirror, the girl pulled a brush from one of the drawers.

The blush leaving his face, Zuko watched as the girl calmed down, the occasional chuckle escaping her ruby lips as she pulled the soft bristles of the brush against her silky smooth hair. Small droplets of water leapt from the ends of her soft hair, catching the small amounts of candlelight as they fell to the ground.

He watched her face in the tall mirror, the rust toned locks falling down around her shoulders. Each movement of her arms sent a ripple along the sea blue fabric, the color still rare in the Fire Nation. The smoothed sleeves fell to her elbows, offering him a view of her slender arms as she continued to brush out her hair.

Almost as though in a trance, the scarred teen made his way from the bed, his eyes locked on the mirror reflection of her sea blue spheres in the smoothed surface. Her motions stopped as he approached her, his face showing in the mirror just over her right shoulder.

"What is it? I hope you're not upset about me tossing my-" the girl's voice rose in volume as a gasp escaped her lips. Her body trembled slightly as his strong, warm hands ran inside the soft fabric of her robe, brushing gently against her flat, toned stomach. Smoothed fingertips ran across her soft skin, her eyes closing in response to the warmth spreading through her body.

She weakly attempted to get his hands away from her body, feeling his fingers traveling slowly down her stomach. Suki gasped again as his fingers dipped inside the waistband of her tight fitting underwear. Her body tensed momentarily, her fingers clutching at the handle of the brush still in her hand.

Soft panting sounds escaped her lips as his fingers rubbed against her most sensitive spot, his heated lips finding their way to her soft neck. She shivered as his teeth brushed carefully against her soft skin, his free hand running back up along her stomach towards the soft mounds of flesh on her chest.

Her breathing became less steady, her body responding easily to his warm touches. Feeling his fingers pressing against her sensitive spot, a soft moan escaped the ruby lips, the sound deepening as he slipped a single digit inside of her. The hand that had been trying to remove his hand clutched at his forearm, digging into the skin on his arm.

The girl groaned in disappointment as he pulled his hand from inside her panties, her fingers losing their grip on the brush she had been holding. Blue green eyes smoldered with lust as he spun her around, pressing her body against the piece of dark wood furniture. Chest heaving with excitement Suki stared mindlessly into the deep pools of molten gold set in his angular face, watching the mirror reaction in his eyes.

"Suki…" he whispered, his voice brushing pleasantly against her ears. Her body nearly melted with the heat on the single word, her hands reaching out towards the young man. Pressing the hands against his back, she pulled him towards her, arms encircling his midsection as her legs spread on either side of his body, inviting him closer to her own body.

"Zuko…" she responded, eyes hooding half closed as she leaned up, meeting his lips with hers. Her hands ran up along his strong back, raking her fingernails against his body through the simple shirt he wore. The long nails dug almost painfully into the skin of his shoulders as he pressed his lips harder against hers, his body pressing hers further against the heavy piece of furniture.

The pair of teens found pleasure in each other's warm embrace, bodies grinding together as they fumbled with the clothing separating them. Clothing was discarded, tossed around the room as skin met skin. Pants and moans sounded off of the walls of the large room, the occasional sound of creaking wood sounding through the empty halls outside the room.

Sounds of pleasure echoed heavily in the room, neither wanting the passionate embrace to end. Both tried to extend it as long as they could, savoring the heated feel of the other's body in their intimacy. Finally neither could take any more, and they reached the peak of their pleasure at once, nearly an hour after they had begun.

Panting heavily, Zuko removed himself from atop the younger girl, both bodies covered in a light sheen of sweat. Feeling the girl drape her arm lazily over his body, he pulled the cool satin sheets over them, both their chests heaving as they attempted to recover from the intense workout.

"Wow, that was great," Suki purred, her hair a frazzled mess as it spread against his bare skin. Zuko simply nodded, placing his arm around the girl's shoulder, pulling her body closer to his own.

"Yeah," he responded lazily, savoring the afterglow of their passionate union. He felt the girl lean up along his body, pressing her lips to his in one final passionate kiss. Leaning into it, he pressed his tongue against her lips, feeling her lips part as he traced the soft outline.

As they pulled their lips apart, a soft clacking sound was heard against the clear glass of the window. Looking to one another in confusion, they then turned their attention towards the window, bodies rising to a sitting position. Again, a soft rapping sound echoed through the room, and Zuko forced himself from the warm bed, quickly making his way towards the window.

Upon opening it, a small bird hopped inside, a message strapped to its red feathered body. Pulling the small parchment from the compartment, Zuko set the bird on the dresser, reading the message as he made his way back towards the young woman beneath their shared covers.

"So, what is it?" she asked somewhat impatiently, curious as to who would be sending the Fire Lord a message by messenger hawk. Zuko looked from the parchment to the young woman as he sat down, a look of some surprise on his face.

"It's from uncle. He says that the gang is going to be gathering in Ba Sing Se to catch up on how we've all been," he said, his voice showing his disbelief. Handing the message to the young woman, he watched as she read over the document, a similar look on her own face.

"You think it's some kind of trick?" she asked, her heart leaping in her chest at the thought of meeting with the whole gang again.

"I don't think so. It is just like my uncle to want to have a celebration like that, and I'm sure Toph had some part to play in getting him involved," he said, smiling as he thought of how well the two got along, Toph being the sort of daughter Iroh probably would have liked. His uncle had a knack for taking care of occasionally misguided teens.

"Says that you just have to let them know if you'll be there. So, you going to go?" Suki asked, her eyes glimmering in hope at the thought of returning to the Earth Kingdom. Seeing her excited expression, Zuko couldn't help but laugh a bit, his head bobbing forward gently in agreement.

"It'll be nice to see everyone again. I just hope that Katara and Sokka have calmed down about us," he said somewhat nervously, watching as the bird on the dresser pecked at its feathers lazily, its eyes closing as it fell into a deep sleep.

"Well, then I guess this calls for our own little celebration," Suki teased in her breathiest voice, Zuko chuckling at her forwardness. Tossing the document on the ground at the side of the bed, he watched as the girl crawled atop his body, straddling him easily. The two shared another round of intense lovemaking before drifting off to sleep in each other's arms.

The following day Zuko sent their acceptance to his uncle, sending the small bird off after allowing it to feed and rest after its long journey. Suki and Zuko spent the remainder of that week making preparations, Zuko putting official business in order so that he could take a short vacation, and Suki giving her recruits some intense workouts to make up for the time they would have off.

Zuko felt a wave of appreciation for his advisor, agreeing to the summit a few days after he would return from his trip. The week passed relatively quickly, and a burst of nervousness passed through each of them as they heard the familiar bellow of the large flying animal.

Following the short greeting ceremony, Zuko personally welcomed the Avatar, bowing in deference to the inherent savior of the entire world. The three shared a short conversation before hopping into the saddle of the large beast. Zuko gave a final wave to his servants as the bison ascended into the sky, Suki taking a seat next to the young man.

The time seemed to almost stop as the beast soared through the sky, Aang filling Zuko and Suki in on his progress in rebuilding the Air Temples, a sense of pride filling his voice as he spoke of it. But Zuko and Suki both teased the younger boy about what he was truly most enthusiastic about, the bald boy blushing at the mention of the young water bender.

After a few hours of flying, the large city came into view, the walls looking just as impressive as they ever had. The mass of civilization of the Lower Ring quickly gave way to the peace and prosperity of the Middle then Upper Rings. Zuko felt a wave of hesitance pass over him as the small teashop came into view, Suki's fingers entwining with his as she shared his concerns.

With a tug of the reigns, Aang sent the beast down towards the large area surrounding the fancy shop. A puff of air emanated from the beast as it touched down, blowing against the grass all around. Leaping down from the beast, Zuko stared right at the front entrance to the teashop, his uncle's pride and joy.

Taking in a deep breath, he started towards the shop, his footsteps a short distance behind that of the young Avatar. The dark red robes he wore felt oddly out of place, and he hoped that his uncle still had some Earth Kingdom garb he could wear while in the city. A short burst of warmth passed by him as he entered the small shop, the attention of the rest of the group focusing on him as he entered, with Suki immediately at his right.

The soft scent of his uncle's tea wafted throughout the room, filling his nostrils with the pleasant smell as he made his way past the entryway to the small shop. Turning his head, he glanced at the cozy shop, everything being just as he had remembered it when they had first moved to the Upper Ring.

"Zuko! Oh my god, it is so good to see you," Sokka's voice echoed from the nearest table, a clattering of his chair as he shot to his feet. Zuko instinctively fell into a defensive posture, thinking that he was about to be attacked. But he was surprised as the younger boy threw his arms around the scarred teen in what could best be described as desperation.

Blinking a few times, he looked to Suki, noting her similar reaction. Brows rising in confusion, he pushed the dark skinned boy away, looking at the look of pleading on the younger boy's face.

"Um, it's good to see you too, I guess. What's going on?" he asked, curious as to what had brought about the shift in the boy's demeanor towards him. Sokka's eyes nearly sparkled as he glanced up at the older boy, blue peering deeply into the deep gold spheres.

"Zuko, I need your help. I need you to tell me how to handle Ty Lee. I think she's crazy or something," Sokka whispered. Scanning the small shop, Zuko noticed that the girl in question was not present, figuring she had gone to the restroom.

"She's not even here. Why are you whispering?" he asked, whispering back to the younger boy in a somewhat mocking tone. Suki giggled a bit at that, watching Sokka pull away from the young Fire Lord.

"Sorry. It's just, she's so… perky. All the time. Without rest. And she's so energetic, it's like she runs on happiness," Sokka said, his voice sounding just a bit strained. Zuko watched his face, noticing the signs of tiredness and frustration that he knew all too well from dealing with the young acrobat on occasion.

"I don't know what to tell you. She likes you, so I guess you'll just have to deal with something. I think she acts different when she's got a crush, but I've never had to deal with that," Zuko explained, watching Sokka's face fall in disappointment.

"Aww, I never knew you wanted me to flirt with you, Zuko," the soft, cheery voice sounded from the opposite end of the room. Zuko pushed his attention towards the young girl, watching as she front flipped towards him. As she settled in front of him, he noticed the wide grin on the girl's face, one of the things he would always remember about her.

"I never said that. I was just saying that I don't know what it's like to deal with you when you're even weirder than usual," he said, waving his hand dismissively in front of the girl, watching as Aang made his way towards the table where Katara was sitting.

"Weirder than usual? So you think I'm weird?" she asked in a huff, her brows knit together as she stared up into his gold eyes. Zuko felt his body back up a bit at the tension, taking a single step backwards.

"Well, it's certainly not normal for someone to be so happy all the time," he said, straightening himself out as the girl pressed forward again. Leaning up on her toes, the girl brought them face to face, watching the slight increase in nervousness in Zuko's features.

"Who says I'm happy all the time, huh?" she questioned, pushing her index finger against Zuko's chest as she spoke.

"I think it would be hard to find someone who doesn't think you're happy all the time," he said, watching as she balanced back on her feet. "Not that it's a bad thing, necessarily," he continued, hoping that he hadn't hurt the girl's feelings.

"Oh, you do care," she said happily, any traces of her sadness disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. His eyes widened as the girl threw her arms around him, circling his neck as she leaned up against his body. Nervously, he wrapped a comforting arm around her waist, his eyes wandering to the girl at his side and the Water Tribe warrior in front of him.

"Yeah, it's nice to see you too, Ty Lee," he said, his tone evening as the girl pulled away from him. A deep sigh escaped his lips as she made her way towards Suki. The two girls stared at one another, and for a moment, he thought that things might actually get ugly.

"So, I guess you and Zuko are together, right?" Ty Lee asked directly, hands resting on her hips as Suki nodded.

"Um, yeah?" Suki responded, feeling oddly nervous as the younger girl stared at her, seemingly appraising the young warrior. Ty Lee's grey eyes traveled up and down the older girl's body, before she stepped back.

"Well, as long as you can make him happy, it's alright with me," she said, throwing her arms around the older girl. Zuko felt a smile tug at the corners of his lips at the sight, watching as Suki returned the acrobat's warm gesture with her own smile.

"Glad I have your permission," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes as the brunette pulled away, her long braid swaying gently as she made her way towards Sokka.

"Well, Zuko had a rough life, so as his friend, I want him to be happy," she said, a smile stretched across her soft features as she felt Sokka's arm wrap around her shoulders. Sokka as well smiled, sighing a bit at having to deal with the sometimes overly excitable girl.

"So, Ty Lee, have you heard anything from Mai?" Zuko asked hesitantly, his mind shifting to the thought of the acrobat's best friend. She and Sokka stopped near their table, the girl turning towards him as she began to speak.

"Well, she was really upset when you guys broke up," she began, Zuko's mind reminding him that such a response should have been expected. Setting one foot in front of another, he made his way towards an empty table, Suki following a short distance behind. The four of them sat at tables next to one another, Ty Lee's seat putting her right next to Zuko.

"I guess that makes sense. I felt really bad for doing that to her," he said, a genuine concern in his voice. Suki gave his hand a single reassuring squeeze, the warmth comforting him as the others as well listened to what the acrobat had to say.

"But, after a couple of weeks of moping, she met this really weird older lady. I think they went into some kind of business together," Ty Lee continued, placing her finger against her chin as she tried to think of more details.

"An older lady? Did she have really pale skin, dark hair, black lips, a skull on her hair band, and rode around on a shirshu?" he asked, his mind filling in the blanks with an image of the bounty hunter that he had met so many months earlier. Ty Lee's face brightened as the information all clicked together.

"That's right. They met in some tavern, when the lady was looking for someone. Mai helped her out, I think because she wanted to take her frustration out on someone. She was impressed with Mai's skills, so they became partners," Ty Lee exclaimed, a snicker escaping her lips at the thought.

"I always thought Mai hated to rough it out, so that's a little weird that she would go along with June," Zuko said, imagining the pair of gloomy looking girls cutting loose on all the bounty heads of the world.

"As long as she's happy, then that's what matters, right?" Ty Lee asked, smiling wider as Sokka pressed his lips to her cheek.

"Yeah. I'm glad she found something to make her happy, but I almost feel bad for all the criminals who end up their target," he said, shivering a bit as he recalled the rough way June could act from time to time.

"Ah, it is good to see you nephew," his uncle's voice sounded from the kitchen, the doors swinging open as the older gentleman appeared, a large tray of tea held tenuously in his hands. As the large man stumbled a bit Zuko shot out of his seat, taking the tray from his uncle.

"It is good to see you too, uncle. It's been too long," the scarred teen said sadly, nearly dropping the tray as his uncle gave the boy a large hug. A light blush stained his cheeks as he noticed the others looking at him, watching him fidget a bit under the attention.

"Now, since this is such a joyous occasion, I believe we should be treated to something very, very special," his uncle said as he pulled away from the young man, Zuko's eyes widening as he made his way to the first table, a fear that he knew what was going to be asked passing through his mind.

"Oh, what did you have in mind… uncle?" Suki asked, flushing a bit herself at addressing the older gentleman as such. The jovial man laughed a bit, delighting in the closeness between the young girl from Kyoshi Island and his nephew.

"I am sure I have not told you all this, but my nephew-"

"Uncle!" Zuko shouted, hastily putting the last cup on the farthest table, his voice sounding throughout the room as he yelled in frustration. As he attempted to make his way towards the older man to silence him, a mound of earth rose from the floor, sending him crashing down to the ground.

"Now, now, Sparky. Let's just hear what Iroh has to say," Toph said, having a feeling that whatever Iroh was going to say would be absolutely enjoyable, and at the very least would embarrass the young Fire Lord.

"As I was saying, my nephew is a very talented sunghi hornist, but he is always too shy to play. But I am sure with your encouragement, we could get him to play for us," Iroh said, a mischievous grin on his face. Zuko could almost feel the glances of expectation on him as the others turned their heads towards him.

"Okay, now this I have to see," Katara said teasingly, an almost feline smile crossing her lips as she stared at the young man. The others joined in the chorus, encouraging the boy to make an idiot of himself as his uncle produced the instrument in question. A large part of Zuko wanted to simply leave the shop, and disappear into the crowd of Ba Sing Se rather than play for his group of friends.

"Come on, Zuko. I'd like to hear you play, too," Suki's voice sounded pleasantly in his ear, his vision turning to the auburn haired young woman. The smile on her ruby lips, paired with the glimmer of playfulness in her sea blue eyes made it harder for him to resist, and so he reluctantly agreed.

"It's been a long time since I played," he murmured, taking the instrument into his arms as he took a seat at a large table. The looks of expectation from the others sent his heart racing more than he thought he could take, but he calmed a bit as he let his gaze fall on the young warrior girl who had taken such a large place in his life.

Predictably, at first he was lousy, a sound more like air blowing through the pipe sending the others into fits of laughter. The laughter set him on proving them, and as he touched his lips to the metallic instrument, a soft, delightful sound echoed off of the walls of the comfortable teashop.

The laughter of the others died down, and the gang each watched him play, looks of utter surprise on each of their faces. As he played, Zuko lost himself in the music, watching the others settle back into their seats. His mind wandered as he played, thinking of all the things that had marked his life to this point, and what was likely to occur in the future.

After a few songs, he set the horn down on the floor, a somewhat teasing but mostly impressed round of applause sounding from the group in the room. Taking a short bow, the blushing young man made his way towards his table, glad to be beyond the embarrassing display.

"Wow, your uncle wasn't kidding, you really are pretty good at that," Sokka said, appreciating the surprisingly artistic side of the young man. "I wonder if there's anything else you're good at," he wondered, his eyes narrowing as he imagined the young royal in any number of things.

"Well, I know one thing he's really good at," Suki teased, a breathy tone of voice escaping her lips as she pressed them to the young man's unscarred cheek. He blushed a bit, his eyes nearly screaming at her to keep that to herself.

"I always had a feeling that he would be good at that," Ty Lee added, quite unhelpfully for the young Fire Lord. Sokka stared wide eyed at the girl, wondering how she could possibly have thought that.

Zuko didn't bother paying attention to the ensuing argument, his mind swimming in a heated haze as he dropped his head onto the table in front of him. Turning his head slightly, he watched the soft, rust toned hair sway as Suki turned her eyes down towards him, smiling gently at him.

Sighing deeply, Zuko pulled into a sitting position. The last thing he remembered hearing from the group was something about a kissing contest, before he excused himself to the kitchen. He prayed silently that it wouldn't come to that, figuring that Katara would be the one to put a stop to such an idea.

"At least things are never boring with those guys around," he whispered to himself, setting himself to brew a bit of tea for he and Suki to enjoy. The world had started on its path of healing, after the scars of war had left it torn and divided.

With people like those in the other room, things would surely turn out alright.

* * *

**So, there is the finale of this story. As it began as a oneshot, there is a good chance that I might do a sequel oneshot, just to touch on a couple of other points. But not sure yet. Had this one done like 2 days ago, but the site was being weird, so I was only able to upload it now. The next update will be for my Toko story, which I will try my best to finish in one burst over the course of this week. Thanks again for all the support for this story, and this pairing. Hope to see you all in Toko-land. Until next time, kind readers.**


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